At the same time, the coach also highlighted those who worked behind the scenes to make this comeback possible. According to David, the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in Thalgau, Austria—where Oswald completed much of his rehabilitation—as well as our physical therapists and the entire off-ice team, “did an extraordinary job.”
From Olympic Disappointment to Rehabilitation Focus
The backstory makes this comeback even more emotional. Before his injury, Oswald was the strongest German forward in the PENNY DEL, having scored twelve points in his previous ten games. Consequently, the Munich forward was invited to the Olympic camp as part of the DEB team’s preparations for the Winter Games in Milan.
“I don’t think there’s ever a good time to get injured,” he says in retrospect. But with the Olympics on the horizon, the setback was particularly tough. What hurt the most was how close he already was to his dream. Oswald: “I already had my team gear, had attended the first team meeting, and received the travel plans for Milan. Having to cancel my participation just a few days before was, of course, very bitter.”
The 21-year-old describes the first day or two as mentally very difficult: disappointment, frustration, a lot of thoughts. But he quickly found a new direction. It “really helped me to focus fully on rehab” instead of dwelling too long on what he had missed out on.
