News For USA water polo great Tony Azevedo, Rio 2016 will be both a homecoming and a potential farewell This may be his last chance for the team captain, who was born in Rio de Janeiro 34 years ago to a Brazilian father and American mother, to lead the USA to their first ever Olympic gold in water polo The Americans have finished second on three occasions, with Azevedo part of the team that picked up silver behind Hungary at Beijing 2008 Team captain Azevedo says that the Games in his birthplace are going to be extra special, 20 years after his first introduction to the sport "It's great being back in Rio as I have so many family members still here and they've all been calling me, saying they will be at the Games and coming to watch," says Azevedo One of the leading members of something of a family dynasty, Azevedo's father Rick is the current coach of the China women's team and played for Brazil from 1973-81 "It's incredible having my father here at the same time and in the (Olympic) Village with me," Azevedo says "It's amazing for me to be playing and him coaching in the city where we were both born It's going to be very emotional for both of us " Azevedo has said that Rio 2016 will almost certainly be his last Olympic Games (Photo: Getty Images/ Sean M Haffey) Return of the native In the run-up to the Games, Azevedo shared some travel tips for Rio with Condé Nast Traveler Among his recommendations for travellers are to walk up to Christ the Redeemer, check out the beach at Arpoador where Copacabana meets Ipanema, and to make use of the city's extensive network of bicycle lanes For people looking for a break from the big city, Azevedo suggests the colonial town of Paraty "I remember going a year ago and waking up every morning to monkeys " People with partying on their mind should find that the district of Lapa will meet all their needs "In some ways, Rio is very similar to LA: being outside and eating heathy are important, but we just eat healthily so we can drink all night " Azevedo says his late Rio-based grandfather was his biggest supporter during his career "He was a great man and lived right down by Copacabana beach "After those (1996) Games I said I wanted to be part of the Olympic team and my grandfather totally believed in me, so much so he started to call me 'Tony 2000' " "It was really cute of him to name me that, especially when I made the Sydney (2000 Olympic Games) team He went around telling everyone how he always knew I would make it " Five-time Olympian When Azevedo takes to the pool on 6 August, against reigning Olympic champions Croatia, he will become the first USA water polo player to participate in five Olympic Games It's quite a journey for an athlete who came back from the dead as a child Doctors told him he would not be able to do anything without being connected to a machine after they brought him back to life following an accident in which he tore his trachea That turned out not to be the case and at the age of 14 he was a ball boy at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games water polo event, an experience that inspired Azevedo to launch his own Olympic career "I tore my trachea during a fall and I died for a few minutes (at age four)," Azevedo says "The doctors revived me but they said I would never be able to do anything without being connected to a machine "I fought through the recovery process and never let it slow me down I feel so lucky to be where I am and I hope my story and journey will inspire others "