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5 months ago
30
After Aussie Olympic swimmer Bronte Campbell landed a role as a senior consultant at leading accounting and professional services firm Ernst & Young just over two years ago, she felt her pool days were finally over.
Clocking up on average 19,000 strokes a week in the water was physically and mentally damaging - and her paltry $30,000 a year as a fulltime athlete didn't help either.
But after 18 months away from the sport - which allowed a 'broken' Campbell to rest her body - notably severe shoulder, neck, back and hip injuries - the lure of a fourth Games has proven to be irresistible.
With the support of long term partner Benfield Lainchbury, Campbell began swimming again - but unlike previous years, it was pain free for the 30-year-old.
Next was a move to Canberra from Brisbane, training out of the Australian Institute of Sport under new coach Shannon Rollason.
After Aussie Olympic swimmer Bronte Campbell landed a role as a senior consultant at leading accounting firm Ernst & Young, she felt her pool days were finally over
But after 18 months away from the sport - which allowed a 'broken' Campbell to rest her body - the lure of a fourth Games has proven to be irresistible
Impressive results have followed, notably winning the Women's 100m freestyle at January's South Australian State Open Championships and the Women's 50m freestyle at the NSW State Championships in March.
Thorough stretching via yoga and rehabilitating her injuries has been critical, as has the growing influence of Rollason.
With the Australian Swimming trials ahead of the Paris Olympics starting in Brisbane on June 10, Campbell couldn't have timed her run better.
She knows what could await - but is also prepared for disappointment if she comes up short.
'The decision to come back....when you look at all the consequences that go with that: moving, the impact on my relationship, the impact on finances, the impact on my job...it was huge,' she said.
As a dual Olympic gold-medal winner and former world champion, Campbell has achieved more than most ever will in her racing goggles.
She also won't rule out a tilt at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, where she will be 34.
'Will I still want to do it by the time LA comes around – that's the question,' she told News Corp.
'That's what I asked myself after Tokyo, do I still really want to do this? The answer being yes meant that I came back to it.
'I might be at a slightly different phase in my life by then, [with marriage and children] so we will see.'
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