COLIN MCCALLum
Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Competitor
ADF service: I joined the Royal Australian Navy in May 1995 as a Boatswain’s Mate. As a Patrol Boat Sailor, I spent much of my time being deployed on Operation Cranberry (border protection operations in the country's northern approaches to prevent illegal fishing operations). In August 2002, I transferred to Aircrewman. As an Aircrewman, I was deployed to the Middle East, Timor-Leste and the South Pacific. A highlight of my career was being part of the crew that conducted a long-range search and rescue of 2 French sailors, 485 nautical miles off the NSW coast in October 2013.
Other information: Retired. Stay at home dad to my 2 children, Stephanie (13) and Josh (11).
Age: 47
Hometown: My father was in the Navy, so I lived in many places including Frankston, Punchbowl, Greystanes, East Fremantle and Nowra, before finally ending up in Burpengary East, QLD
Current town: Nowra, NSW
Competing in: Indoor rowing, skeleton, snowboarding, and wheelchair rugby.
What is the nature of your injury or illness? I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and multiple musculoskeletal injuries, including cervical and lumbar spondylosis, all as a result of my service.
Sport background: I played rugby union from the age of 8 until I joined the Navy at 18. During the summer I competitively sailed in many classes up to and including state level. I have played many sports during my service including rugby union, Aussie rules, water skiing, sailing and snowboarding. I have always enjoyed being part of a team.
What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? I have always relied on physical activity to manage my mental health. Being an aircrewman required you to have a higher-than-normal level of fitness. With my current physical injuries, I was unsure what I was able to do. I began training with an exercise physiologist who pushed me to go back to training with heavy weights and I have not looked back. I also participated in a program called the Veteran Surf Project where I learnt to surf and find the wonderful benefits of saltwater therapy. If it wasn’t for the coaches and the crew at the Veteran Surf Project, I am not sure I would be still here.
How did you feel when you were told you made the Invictus Games team? I was over the moon; it reignited a spark inside me that I hadn’t felt for many years. When I read the email notifying me that I had been selected, it brought a tear to my eye - not in a bad way, but a good way.
What is your greatest achievement to date? Marrying my wife, Kerryn, and having my 2 kids, Stephanie and Joshua.
Why did you apply for Invictus Games? I had participated in a few of the ‘come and try’ days that Invictus Australia holds around NSW and the ACT, and I regularly participated in a weekly Invictus indoor rowing group in Nowra. The support and inclusion shown by these groups was infectious and I wanted more. I had a helping push from an old friend who thought it would be a great challenge that I would like to tackle. I learned that the Invictus Games offered an opportunity to form new social connections, learn new skills and have fun while competing on the international stage.
What will ‘winning’ look like for you at the Games? I have already won. Just being selected to attend the Games is a win and an absolute honour for me. The example I am setting for my children means a lot to me after struggling with my mental health and being medically separated from the Navy.
Who is supporting you at the Games? My family – my wife, Kerryn, and my kids, Stephanie and Joshua – will be there at the Games to support me. I will have my parents and my sister, Angela, and her 2 boys, Locky and Brodie, supporting me from back in Australia.
