Paul Oberman competed in the 1992 Olympics as a member of the Australian National Water Polo team. He describes an unfortunate accident in which he severed his ulner nerve on his throwing arm. After several surgical procedures and rigorous rehabilitation efforts, Paul made it back to the national team, only to experience a shoulder dislocation that required a shoulder reconstruction only 2 months prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Unfortunately, the shoulder operation precluded his participation in the games, a conclusion to his career that carried with it the disappointment and frustration of an unfulfilled dream. Oberman describes how he quickly came to terms with his injury and how the transition to coaching enabled him to give back to the sport. He suggests that injury is a test of what the athlete wants out of their sport and that if an athlete gets “knocked down” it’s helpful to reflect on: “how, ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘who’ are going to help you get back up?”  For further assistance dealing with the challenges of injury or for performance enhancement consulting visit: podlogconsulting.com