Even Smith did not know that she would be taking the retirement route so soon in her life.
However, she felt it was just the right time for her to walk away from the sport she loved and dedicated 22 years of her life to.
In a 22-year time frame, Smith swam her way to being the most decorated South African Olympian in history with two gold and silver medals in two Olympic events - Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Smith has also collected three Commonwealth Games gold medals to go with her various record-breaking performances in her career.
She said the finances and lack thereof had an impact on her decision to retire.
"The pressure was coming [to retire] from the financial side.
"I was fortunate enough to make swimming my career since I came back from Tokyo.
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Denne historien er fra September 06, 2024-utgaven av The Citizen.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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