Nathan Power, 33, captain of the Australian Sharks men's water polo team, is balancing fatherhood with his leadership role as the team competes at the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals in Sydney this week. Power, who is currently on six months of parental leave from his managerial role at KPMG, shared how becoming a father has changed his perspective.

Power is pictured feeding his son Sebastian at the Griffith University pool on the Gold Coast, highlighting the personal side of an intense sport often described as combative. He noted this is the first time in his tenure with the men's team that there has been a baby on tour, with teammate Blake Edwards also bringing his son Jude.

"We're really fortunate to have a nice balance of the group, we've got the spectrum covered in terms of interests and ideas and for the first time, in this preparation, we've got two of our players who have children, which we've never had before," Power said. He explained that this shift has influenced the team environment, with players taking turns caring for the babies, even during breakfast.

Power emphasized the importance of team culture and care, stating, "We know that our culture needs to be the best in the world, we know that our team care needs to be the best in the world, otherwise we can't compete, so we invest time in all of that, and that's conversations with those 18s all the way through to 30 plus year olds and now fathers."

In December, the Australian Olympic Committee established the Olympians Future Fund to support female Olympians returning to high-performance sport after childbirth, offering $10,000 to eligible athletes.

Reflecting on his career stage, Power said, "At 33, I guess we can probably confidently say I'm closer to the end than the start of my career, so it means you also get to take some moments and really appreciate that this isn't normal to get to do this and to share this experience with your family."

The Australian Sharks are scheduled to face reigning world champions Spain on Thursday, July 23rd, 2026, in Sydney.

Sources