Paraplegic swims against the tide
While many people his age are taking it easy, an 80-year-old paraplegic man from Feilding is making a splash.
Colin Morrison beat 10 other paraplegic swimmers on his way to four gold medals at the World Masters Games in Auckland last month.
Morrison suffered a stroke in 2011. He remembers feeling an overwhelming sense of fear, before blacking out and waking up in hospital.
However, he hasn’t let his disability deter his passion for swimming.
‘‘I’ve been swimming for years,’’ he said.
‘‘Before I had a stroke I went alright, but I’ve slowed up a bit now.’’
Morrison was up against a few swimmers from across New Zealand and Australia, but took out the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke and freestyle events.
His efforts earned a standing ovation from the hundreds of onlookers, which he earnestly said ‘‘felt good’’.
Before his stroke, Morrison had been swimming every day since 1985. In fact, he enjoyed it so much, he woke up one morning and decided to swim from Auckland to Invercargill.
‘‘I really enjoy it, I always have.
‘‘When Masters first started I got involved and I’ve never looked back.’’
Many told Morrison he should have perused the sport at a professional level, but a career in the fire service soon closed that gate.
He travelled to the North Shore with fellow Feilding swimmers Michael Tunnicliffe and Marilyn Guinan.
Tunnicliffe took home two bronze, one silver and one gold. The event capped off a successful couple of months, having also reeled in nine medals at the New Zealand Masters Games in Whanganui in February.
Tunnicliffe said while Guinan did not win a medal, she exemplified the spirit of the games.