A river runs through it: Rower of his sight and how he found
Oarsman remembers moment his world came crashing
When he was a boy, Colin Simpson’s playground was the Clyde. From the age of five, he spent his weekends squeezed into the stern of rowing boats, skimming along Glasgow’s famous river as he guided rowers as a coxswain.
Following in his rowing-coach dad Gordon’s footsteps, Colin helped win medals at competitions across Europe for the Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club.
He switched to rowing in his teens, taking to it easily after years spent studying other oarsmen’s technique, and found more success. But, after waking up to the devastating loss of most of his sight at just 25, he thought his time on the water was over.
Colin lost all vision in his right eye and has 20% vision in his left, caused by diabetes.
“It just went overnight,” said Colin, now 43. “I didn’t keep an eye on my blood sugar when I was a teenager. I thought I was invincible but it hit me like a ton of bricks.
“My retina was detached. I went for an eye test and lost my driver’s licence and had to give up work. At that point, my whole world came crashing down.
“I didn’t leave the house for a year because I was so scared of injuring myself.
“It was only after counselling arranged by Visibility Scotland and getting a guide dog that I had the confidence to go outside and feel safe.”
Colin compares his remaining vision in his left eye to “looking through a dirty pint glass”.
“My vision now isn’t much but it’s enough for me to get by. I don’t let it hold me back any more,” he said.
“I’ve tried to find work as a personal trainer. I’d go for interviews, take the guide dog and get told they can’t employ me because of health and safety. Eventually I stopped trying.
“Seven years ago I met John Blair, who managed the Scottish Rowing gym and boats at Strathclyde Park. I ended up fixing the rowing boats there voluntarily. He wanted to get into rowing coaching and asked me to go out in the boat with him.”
Colin was later asked by Heriot-watt University Boat Club head coach Graeme Cunningham to join his coaching team.
“Now I coach women rowers three days a week. I go out with a launch driver in a separate boat so I see what they are doing close-up,” said Colin.
“Or I’ll cycle along the river bank beside them but that can be a bit scary because of my balance.
“I had never thought I’d go back to rowing but my dad encouraged me to give coaching a go because I knew
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When I lost my sight my whole world came crashing down