A unique path, reinvented
I’m Guillaume Colin, trained engineer, high-level athlete, and speaker. Mine isn’t the story of a perfectly mapped-out plan. It’s the story of a path disrupted by an accident, shaped by challenges, and turned into a journey of rebuilding. Today, I share this story because it speaks to something we all carry: the ability to adapt, and to find potential in the unexpected.
A solid and committed engineering background
Graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and holder of a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from UNSW Sydney (Australia), I spent 16 years working in the construction industry.
As an engineer, project manager, and later head of a design office, I led complex technical projects and managed multidisciplinary teams in demanding environments.
This career gave me a strong sense of structure, a global vision, and a deep sense of responsibility — but above all, the ability to tackle challenges with method and clarity.
Movement as a driver for rebuilding
In 2015, an accident left me paraplegic. I chose to rebuild myself through movement. Sport, already part of my life before the accident, became an essential resource.
I took up para surf to reconnect with the sensations of glide that once drove me, eventually becoming a world champion, a member of the French national team, and officially recognized as an elite-level athlete.
This journey has been far more than a performance, it has been a powerful human experience, built on hard work, patience, and a deep sense of regained freedom.
Inventing what doesn’t exist yet
I wanted to go further in board sports, to feel the wind again, like I had in windsurfing or kitesurfing.
Wingfoiling was just emerging, and I wanted to give it a try. But nothing existed for seated practice. So I started designing, adapting, and testing, until I managed to fly sitting on a board.
Today, I’m a pioneer in para wingfoil, a discipline I help make accessible through concrete technical adaptations. I also support clubs, associations, and federations in opening up to new, more inclusive ways of practicing the sport.
Sharing a living vision of change
This journey — technical, human, and athletic — has become the foundation of my talks.
I offer a grounded perspective on transformation: speaking about bouncing back, reinventing yourself, and uncovering the potential of the unexpected means sharing what I’ve learned along the way.
My goal is to deliver an experience that sheds light, challenges perspectives, and sparks a desire to take action.