Train like you care and race like you don't.
That's the motto Cate Campbell has adopted after a traumatic Rio Olympic Games and voluntarily sitting out the world titles in July.
Time away from the pool has allowed the 25-year-old gold medallist to re-set with a healthy dose of life perspective.
Campbell became the face of Australia's swimming struggles in Rio when she missed a medal as favourite in the 100m freestyle - just days after anchoring the relay team to an inspired gold medal.
"I am probably learning to balance life a little bit and to transition out (of competitive swimming), which I think is really important for athletes," she said.
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"That's what these next few years are really going to be about; giving 100 per cent in the pool but also working towards what life will be like outside of the pool."
Not that she's lost her drive to win.
The pool at the national short course championships, starting in Adelaide on Thursday, may not suit her long strokes but it's an important starting point in the Queenslander's return to racing.
"The last couple of weeks I've really knuckled down and so it will be good to see where I'm at and how much work I still have to do," Campbell said.
Campbell said she is eager to lead a youthful Australian team to next year's Commonwealth Games and then the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
"We had over a third of the team who were rookies in Budapest (at July's world titles) and they stepped up and did a great job," Campbell said.
"It shows that the youth of swimming in Australia is really strong and that's going to be a positive moving forward to 2020."
Campbell will race in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly at the championships in South Australia.
