Mr Thompson was injured in a sailing accident while cross Bass Strait in 1995. He almost drowned, trapped under water for 14 minutes.

What Mr Thompson wants people to know is that while he had to learn a lot of seemingly little things again – how to speak, how to use cutlery without slipping past his mouth – he worked up to the big things, too. Like getting back to sailing and open water swimming.

A Brain Injury Awareness exhibition in Ballarat will showcase achievements of people living with ABI in the region, including writers, photographers, rock band NQR and an aphasia choir.

Mr Thompson said he worked hard on turning his negatives into positives.

“I had a yachting accident and my life changed around and so did my family’s lives and my friends’ lives changed,” Mr Thompson said. “The best advice I could give for a loved one is to never give up on a person, always show support.

“For a person who has a brain injury, always look forward. Always find a way to look into that maze and undo it. I’ve half undone mine.”

It was one of Mr Thompson’s carers who prompted his return to the water, taking him to the then-YMCA pool. He was helped into a huge rubber tyre and, gradually, tipped into the water.

“I took up sailing again and started sailing small boats on Lake Wendouree,” Mr Thompson said. "Falling out of yachts can still be scary. It brings back memories.”

Mr Thompson helped launch an all-abilities sailing group in Ballarat. He has plunged into the Lorne Pier-to-Pub open water swim the past 15 years or so, and for Mr Thompson, it has always been about finishing the race no matter how much he might struggle up the beach.

An inspirational speaker, Mr Thompson has won a toastmaster award and been part of the 2006 Commonwealth Games' baton relay.

Ballarat Health Services’ Brain Injury Awareness exhibition is in Lederman Hall, at the Queen Elizabeth Centre, August 16-17.