not he should compete, due to a knee injury. He pushed forward, making it on to the U.S. team, but his confidence was shaken and a poor performance cost him a medal. He finished in eighth place. The trouble continued, forcing Austin to have major surgery in July 1993 where almost half of his patellar tendon had to be removed due to the damage that was caused. Because of the severity of the injury Austin was told his high jump career was over. He took it upon himself to rehabilitate his knee back to where he could once again compete at the highest level. He was left to watch from home as his fellow athletes competed in the 1993 World Championship. But while his knee healed, Austin's passion continued to grow. In 1994, he began his journey back to the top of the world high jump ranks. Within a few years, he had regained his strength and was once again performing at a high level. When he returned to the Olympics in 1996, he did so with a new determination and mental focus. His gold winning jump of 7' 10" was a new Olympic record and still stands today. He was inducted into the United States Hall of Fame in 2012 After Athletics Austin is the owner of So High Sports and Fitness (SoHighSports.com) a sports performance and personal training company. He opened his So High Sports and Fitness Studio in 2002 and his So High Sports and Fitness Performance Center in 2008. Both are located in San Marcos, Texas. Charles is also the author of the book, Head Games: Life's Greatest Challenge. In 2014, Charles introduced his patented Total Body Board (TotalBodyBoard.com) to the fitness equipment market. The Total Body Board is a versatile piece of fitness equipment. Also, Charles set the Master's 45–50 age group World Record with a jump of 6' 8 3/4" (2.05m). Achievements 3-Time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000) 1998 World Cup Champion 1997 Indoor World Championship High Jump Gold Medalist 1996 Olympic High Jump Gold Medalist 1991 Outdoor World Championship High Jump Gold Medalist 1990 NCAA Outdoor High Jump Champion 6-Time U. S. Outdoor Track & Field High Jump Champion (Consecutive) 3-Time U. S. Indoor Track & Field High Jump Champion Current American High Jump Record Holder 7' 10 1/2" (Set in 1991) Current Olympic High Jump Record Holder 7' 10" (Set in 1996) Competitions