[2] Kolchina was born in the village of Pavlovsk, Ochyorsky District, Perm Oblast, and took up skiing at the age of 13.

[1] She was married to four-time Olympic cross country medalist Pavel Kolchin until his death in 2010.

In 1973, the family moved to Otepää, where Kolchins worked as national cross-country ski coaches, functionaries and consultants.

Their son Fjodor Koltšin placed 15th in the Nordic combined at the 1980 Winter Olympics, competing for the Soviet Union (Estonia restored its independence in 1991.).

[2] Kolchina also was Soviet champion in women's cross country skiing thirteen times in her career.