March 24, 2014
Every athlete experiences a setback during his or her career. That's just part of sports.
But with every setback, there's also a chance to come back.
Liberty Mutual Insurance sat down with USA Water Polo veteran Peter Hudnut to get his thoughts on making a strong comeback from a setback.
In our exclusive Take 5 interview, Peter shared his remarkable and inspiring story of his comeback from a series of painful injuries to his back. The initial injury occurred in a tournament in Russia in 2002, when Peter was still attending Stanford University. Around 14 months later, he suffered another hit in a pool in Italy that left him practically immobile down much of his right side.
Peter flew back to Los Angeles, underwent several tests and finally opted for back surgery. He was told on the verge of the 2004 Olympics that his chance of ever competing in a pool at a world-class level again was "minimal."
Peter remembers that for three weeks after the surgery, it took him a full seven minutes just to move from laying on his back to sitting at the corner of his bed. He recalls that his parents had to help pull him up from bed. And he admits that he was "definitely a little scared at first," and initially "kind of felt sad for myself."
Peter's amazing comeback was keyed by his relentless drive and will to overcome the odds. He relates how he approached rehab with a never-quit attitude that allowed him to defy all the doubters and make incredible progress within a year.
Even though he did not make the 2004 U.S. Olympic Water Polo team, Peter was named an alternate less than a year removed from back surgery, and he says he still views that year as "a huge success." He knows the whole experience changed him.
"The injury forced me to step back and ask myself what kind of man I wanted to become," recalls Peter. "I realized that every day, I had to have goals in rehab. In that process, there's not really room for doubt or sadness or failure."
Peter went on to play for the U.S. Olympic Water Polo team in 2008 and 2012, and his story serves as a remarkable example of coming back from a setback. Peter has amazing insight, experiences and advice that can help athletes of all ages stay positive and focused on overcoming any setback and achieving any goal
To read the full Take 5 interview with Peter, visit ResponsibleSports.com. Come back next month for another exclusive Take 5 interview!
At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of responsibility shown by people every day. We created Responsible Sports, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display responsibility. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the field.
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