Brad Kahlefeldt says he's starting to feel really good but the fact is he's achieving a personal victory just by making the start line for the Olympic triathlon.
Kahlefeldt, fellow Beijing Olympian Courtney Atkinson and Brendan Sexton are the Australian team for the men's race on Tuesday, preparing to do battle with Britain's mighty Brownlee brothers in and around London's Hyde Park.
It's only three months since he was hospitalised and underwent a lung biopsy when it was feared he had tuberculosis.
He had been unusually short of breath when he finished well off the pace at the world championship series race in San Diego in May.
He was eventually diagnosed with severe pneumonia but also had a bad reaction to medication and some internal bleeding and he lost vital pre-Olympic training time while ill.
"A lot of people said there would be no way I'd be be able to come back after the pneumonia," said Kahlefeldt in London on Sunday.
"I'm starting to feel really good now and I'm remaining positive for a good result.
"I'm really proud, I was laying in hospital with potential tuberculosis and it was looking at one stage like I wasn't going to make it to (the Games)."
A sixth place late last month at a short-course race in Hamburg was an encouraging sign that his form is returning.
While Kahlefeldt would love a medal, he admits making the top five would be a great result.
Rather than stress about that, he is leaving all the pressure to the Brownlees.
Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee have dominated the sport and, along with Spaniard Javier Gomez, they are the favourites.
There has been plenty of talk about team tactics ahead of this race, with speculation that the British have informally recruited Slovakian Richard Varga to help the Brownlees during the swim leg.
The race opens with a 1.5km swim in The Serpentine, followed by a 43km cycle and a 10km run.
The British tried to control the women's race on Saturday, but their star Helen Jenkins had to settle for fifth as Australian Erin Densham drove the pace for an outstanding bronze medal.
Australian head coach Shaun Stephens noted that team tactics are not so easy as, unlike professional cycling with its teams of nine, each nation only has a maximum of three starters in Olympic triathlon.
"The sport is maturing, but it hasn't matured to that level," Stephens said.
"I believe the British team tactic yesterday actually backfired, it worked against them."
The Australian men did a course reconnaisance soon after the women's race and will be mindful of a section of the bike course near Buckingham Palace.
Several women, including Australian Emma Moffatt, crashed in this area when the road was still wet early in the race.
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