Photo: John O’Neill
Richard (Richie) Collins is a Para athlete from Fort William.
In an athletics career that has spanned almost four decades and counting, he represented Great Britain at two Paralympic Games and two World Championships, winning 5 medals, and held the world record in both the 800m and 1500m for his classification for several years.
From a local club in the Highlands to the world stage, Richie’s story shows what is possible when clubs can be open, inclusive and welcoming to all.
We’re delighted to share his journey in the sport . . .
Richie has cerebral palsy and as a child enjoyed running and playing football, but when his sister joined a local running club in Weymouth, he was disappointed that, due to his disability, the club weren’t interested in taking him on.
The family moved up to Fort William a few years later, and in 1986, impressed with his running ability and speed, a football coach asked a then 18-year-old Richie if he could run a mile in seven minutes – runners were being sought for the Queen’s Baton Relay for the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.
Richie was nominated for this honour and in fact ended up running two miles when another runner dropped out. His two escorts for the Relay, Alan Ingram and Roger Boswell, were members of Lochaber AC and they suggested that Richie join the club, where he was immediately made to feel very welcome.
He started competing and really enjoyed it, regularly running with the senior men in the Grampian Athletics League.
In 1994, he ran the 800m and 1500m in the Scottish National Championships and, following this, was approached by the late Janice Eaglesham MBE (Para athletics coach and co-founder of Red Star AC), who suggested he should get involved in Para athletics.
Now training six days a week, Richie and his dad, Alan, would travel to Glasgow to train with Janice twice a week, staying over in their caravan.
Richie’s international career began when he was selected to compete at the Berlin World Para Championships in 1994, coming away with a silver medal in the 1500m.
With the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games on the horizon, Richie started training for sprints, as the 800m and 1500m weren’t an option for his classification at that time. He was selected for the Games and won two bronze medals in the T34-35 400m and the T34-37 4x100m Relay, as well as fourth place in the T35 100m and T34-35 200m. An amazing…
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