Steph on how it was sink or swim

In a personal message to her fans, Aussie gold medalist Stephanie Rice has announced her retirement from competitive swimming. Courtesy itsStephRice/YouTube

OLYMPIC champion Stephanie Rice has opened up about the difficulties of transitioning to "normal life" after her success.

In the wake of separate and complex difficulties being faced by Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Geoff Huegill, Rice said "it's been really sad to see a lot of the others, the boys in particular, going through a rough time."

SO LONG STEPH: Rice announces retirement

The 25-year-old admitted she had "struggled" at times since winning three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, until announcing her retirement from the pool earlier this year.

"It was all a really big challenge," Rice said, becoming emotional during her interview. "Everything happened at one time and I definitely struggled. It hasn't all been 'easy breezy' and I've just been smiling every day. There have been some really tough times."

Rice, who has been signed to a major deal with Russell Athletic to promote their platinum performance range and is planning her own line of children's swimwear, said she was focusing on her own goals.

Stephanie Rice is contemplating life after swimming.

She said finding an identity for herself beyond "Olympic champion" had been hard.

"I'd never really allowed myself to focus on anything other than swimming. That was the only thing I would put my energy into," she said.

She credited the support of her family and coach for keeping her strong. She said dealing with an ongoing perception of her as a "party girl" that started with post-Beijing Olympics celebrations, had been tough.

"It affected me because I was so young and wasn't aware of the media's opposite side to the glory and the fame. It really made me a bit self-conscious," Rice said.

"I'd worked so hard and not had a normal life at all. That was something I sacrificed for swimming and to see that pay-off was incredible.

Australian Olympian Stephanie Rice has been named as an official ambassador for harness racing in 2014 as she prepares to make a decision on her swimming future.

"(But) after the Olympics to be a 'normal' person and go to a 'normal' bar and be able to dance – that was something I had never experienced before".

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