But for Australian swimmer Nadine Neumann, an ordinary life can be an extraordinary existence.

The young Raworth mother has released her memoir Wobbles – An Olympic Story.

In it, she details the physical, psychological and spiritual growth of a childhood athlete into a fierce, Olympic competitor.

“The book essentially covers my swimming career, my

post-swimming life and what it’s like to adjust to being a normal person, which was a challenge in itself,” Ms Neumann said.

She overcame chronic fatigue syndrome at 15, only to have her dream of being an Olympian shattered by a broken neck.

“I made my first Australian youth team when I was 14 and then I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. I struggled with that, overcame it, finally, as much as anyone ever does, and was on track for the Barcelona Olympics,” Ms Neumann said.

That’s when she dived into a shallow pool, hands behind her back, and broke her neck.

Ms Neumann fought back to swim at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the 200m breastroke, where she finished sixth in the final. She competed in every major international event from 1996 to 1999 and captained the Australian Swimming Team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships.

“I missed out on the 2000 Sydney Olympics because I came down with the flu and that’s when I thought I had to retire and get a life,” Ms Neumann said.

Ms Neumann said penning her story had been cathartic.

“This book clarifies my understanding of where I’ve been,” she said.