Colman’s marathon dream for Coast Games

GOLD Coast wheelchair marathon winner Richard Col man is ready to compete in his first home Commonwealth Games after overcoming the chronic fatigue that almost ended his career.

The former Paralympic and world champion completed yesterday’s race in a time of 1: 46.15 to finish ahead of two- time winner Richard Nicholson. Colman didn’t beat Kurt Fearnley’s time of 1:30.18 from last year but it was a step forward in his quest for next year’s Games.

Colman battled chronic fatigue between 2014 and 2016 but still managed to make it to last year’s Rio Paralympics where an 8th in the 800m T53, an event he won in 2004 and 2012, was the best he could do. “It ruined me,” Colman said. “We didn’t know what was going on for the first year or so. I tried not to give up on Rio and managed to just make it. I did as much as I could for it on modified training. I took six months off after Rio and have only been back since April.

“They were mentally the toughest years of my life. I’m not yet back to my best but I’m getting better.”

The 32-year-old Geelong resident said he considered retiring throughout the tough period but his hunger to return kept him going.

“In 2015 I was close to giving it up but you don’t want to put 20 years of effort into trying to make the Paralympics and then just go nope,” he said.

“I took some time off, re-accessed and I’m just going to focus on marathons.”

Wheelchair marathon (T54) will be contested for the first time at a Commonwealth Games next year and Colman is bent on qualifying for it.

“I missed on the Sydney Paralympics and then the Melbourne Commonwealth Games didn’t have a men’s wheelchair event,” he said.

“As soon as it was announced seven years ago I was like right lets target that.”