Col Pearse (swimming) won gold in the men’s 100m butterfly S10 at the event’s Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham. It was Col’s first Commonwealth Games, but it wasn’t the first time he had tasted success. He also finished on the podium in the event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as well as the last three world championships in London 2019, Madeira 2022 and Manchester 2023. He also won consecutive silver in the 200m individual medley SM10 in Madeira and Manchester.

Col grew up on his family farm near the Victorian town of Echuca and had his right foot amputated below the ankle after an accident when he was two. As a result, his right side is shorter than his left and he has a pronounced limp. Col developed both a love of swimming and a passion for Australian football where he played for the Lockington Cats under 12s wearing a blue-and-white hooped prosthetic foot inspired by his love of the Geelong Cats in the AFL.

In 2016, he was selected on the Paralympic National Development Squad and left the farm the following year to chase his Paralympic dreams in Melbourne, training under Jol Finck at Nunawading Swim Club.

Outside the pool, he is studying a Bachelor of Sports Media at Holmesglen TAFE in Melbourne.