Overview
Seven-time Australian Paralympic medallist (two gold, two silver and three bronze) and World Champion, Richard Colman is an OAM and AM recipient and one of Australia's most successful athletes. Richard received a Deakin Young Alumni of the Year Award in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding sporting achievements, particularly in wheelchair athletics.
Career path and highlights
Richard is a wheelchair track event champion who has represented Australia in three Paralympic Games and numerous international competitions. At the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, he took home the gold medal in the men's 800m T53 event, broke the Paralympic record and gained the number one world ranking.
In Beijing he won silver in the men's 200m T53 event and bronze in the men's 400m T53 event. He followed this up with silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi in the 1500m T54, gold at the 2011 IPC World Athletic Championships in the 800m T53 and silver in the 400m T53.
At the 2012 London Paralympics, Richard cemented his champion status with gold in the 800m wheelchair sprint and bronze in both the 400m and the 4 x 400m relay.
Richard works with junior athletes developing the next generation of Paralympic champions. He also coaches international senior athletes who visit Geelong to train during the summer. He became the first wheelchair goal umpire at an AFL game in the Geelong Football League in 2007.