From re-learning to walk again in the pool to setting it on fire swimming competitively, Able Seaman Boatswains Mate Cooper Blackwood has a complicated relationship with water.
A pool was the scene of his freak diving accident in 2020, which left him with a spinal cord injury, and it was also the scene of his redemption at the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 as he starred in a number of swimming events at the Rheinbad swimming complex.
At today's Games, he competed in the men's ISD 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle and mixed 4x50m relay, ending the day with three personal silver medals as well as a gold in the mixed relay.
"In 2020, I dove into a pool and hit my head on the bottom," Able Seaman Blackwood said.
"I couldn't move anything instantly from my nipples down…couldn't move my hands, fingers, anything."
But with a history of competitive swimming, the 25-year-old didn't stay out of the pool long. The water played an important role in his rehab, where he used parallel bars and the weightless properties of the pool to learn to walk again. While some may have been reticent to get back into the swim of things, Able Seaman Blackwood took a pragmatic view.
"It wasn't my diving that got me into trouble, it was just a freak accident that could happen to anyone," he said.
"Maybe the first dive I did since the accident, diving off a block, there were a little bit of nerves there, but after being back in the water, it's like doing up my shoes."
Able Seaman Blackwood said Invictus Games had been a ray of light in his rehabilitation, encouraging him to get back in the pool as well as participate in other adaptive sports. He can also count a wheelchair rugby bronze medal in his luggage when he travels back to Australia next week.
"After my accident, I didn't really know what team sports I could play and what I could and couldn't do," he said.
"Thanks to Invictus Games, I feel like I can get involved in that team environment now and go and compete again. Since having the accident, I felt like that had been taken away from me a little bit. This whole program has given me a whole new outlook on everything."
Teammate, Ryan Kelly, also had a blinder in the pool, winning the men's 50m backstroke ISE in a time of 32.74s as well as the men's 50m freestyle ISE in 26.79s and the 50m breaststroke ISE in 36.28s, taking a haul of three gold medals for the day's work.
Another Aussie star in the pool today was Erin Brigden, who scored a slew of personal bests.
As well as the mixed 4x50m relay, Erin competed in the women's ISE 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke.
She swam four heats and a relay heat, followed by four finals, and won every single one. The Aussie Wonder Woman celebrated with four gold medals.
Erin, who formerly served in the Army, said she felt very comfortable in the pool in Düsseldorf.
"That felt amazing," she said. "The second I got into the water, everything just felt right.
"My body was feeling good, mentally I was feeling good, the atmosphere was amazing. Everything was just aligning."
While the medals are a lovely bit of bling, Erin's focus was on cracking her personal bests.
Having never swum under 29 seconds, she obliterated her PB in the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay heat to record 28.99s. She then went on to swim an updated PB in the 50m freestyle ISE final of 28.12s to take the gold. To add to the honour, she performed this feat in front of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"I like setting ridiculous goals and then seeing if I can get them," she said.
The cherry on top for the day was the Aussie team taking out the mixed team relay event, the day's final event.
Meanwhile, for the first time in Invictus Games history, table tennis has been included in the events program, and Australia's mixed doubles competitors, Karney Armstrong and Steve Richards, and Brooke Mead and Stephen Lockwood, have done the country proud.
Karney and Steve were first up and dug deep to beat Team Colombia 2-1 before going down to the Israeli team 2-0 and the Danes 2-0.
Teammates, Brooke and Stephen, demolished USA 2-0 but were unable to get the upper hand against our New Zealand neighbours despite a valiant effort, losing 2-1. The pair were also unsuccessful against the French team in the elimination round, with the final score standing at 2-0.
Over on the basketball court, our wheelchair basketball team tried their hardest to ensure a place in the semi-finals.
The Aussies started strongly, trailing the UK by two points after the first and second period, however were eventually overcome by a powerful offensive team who surged to a powerful 13-7 finish.
In their second game against the Ukraine, Team Australia showed every ounce of their grit and determination, pushing the opposition to its limits before going down 8-6.
Meet Team Australia at www.defence.gov.au/invictusgames or follow on Facebook
