Swimmer Bronte Campbell chasing gold medal at 2024 Paris Olympic Games

The 29-year-old could easily have retired in 2021 after a successful Tokyo Olympics, where she claimed relay gold and bronze.

In fact, Campbell came extremely close to doing so. But after an extended break from swimming, she decided she had one last effort left to give.

So the former world champion packed her bags and moved to Canberra to join Shannon Rollason's squad.

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Campbell has achieved Olympic glory throughout a decorated career, however an individual medal has so far eluded her.

That, she says, is what's driving her towards next year's Paris Games.

"This next year and lead in to Paris is a chance for me to see what I can do," Campbell said. "I've had a bit of time to get my injuries under control, I'm managing them quite well now.

"I just love competing and racing and want to see what my best looks like. I don't want to leave any questions unasked, I'm asking all the questions and doing all the things I can to see what I can achieve. I'm motivated by the unknown and the possibilities it presents."

Campbell has spent the past month in Europe taking the next step on her comeback trail, competing in the World Cup series.

The freestyler was in the mix against the world's best and claimed multiple podium finishes across the 50 metre and 100m events.

While she still has a long way to go, it's a step in the right direction as Campbell aims to return to the form that saw her claim the 50m-100m freestyle double at the 2015 world championships.

The 29-year-old has battled multiple serious injuries since that time, plaguing her all the way through to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

First there was a chronic shoulder injury that required multiple operations, then neck and hip ailments, combining to make life in and out of the water challenging.

Campbell managed to push through the pain and shocked many when upstaging older sister Cate at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Cate has also decided to have one last crack at competing at the Olympics. Making the team, however, won't be easy. Australia's swimmers are on top of the world and individual and relay spots are hard to come by.

Mollie O'Callaghan claimed the 100m freestyle at this year's world championships, Emma McKeon is the reigning Olympic champion in the 50m and 100m freestyle and Shayna Jack has risen to another level since returning from a drug ban.

Campbell accepts it will be a tough task to make the team, but she's determined to give it everything she's got before hanging up the goggles for good.

"After the 2021 Olympics I took 18 months off," she said. "It was a time for me to decide what to do next. I definitely did not have in mind that I wanted to go to Paris. It was 18 months for me to take a break, let the body recover and experience other things.

"I could easily have not [come back], I'm happy with what I've achieved and proud of having a long career.

"When I made the decision in January, Paris was 18 months away. I knew once I was finished, I was done for good, I'd never come back to elite sport so I wanted to make sure I was completely done with sport.

"Eighteen months seemed like a good amount of time to come back. It was enough time to get fit, see what I can achieve and get back to my absolute best. I knew if it doesn't work out I'd be proud of myself for trying and getting back in the water."

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