One would think retirement would mean a relaxing time, but in my case it’s just the opposite as I have become even busier than I was when I was swimming.

Having said that, that’s exactly what I want as a 28 year old entering his post swimming career.

I have taken the opportunity to stay involved with sport thanks to Channel 9 and my role as a co-anchor on the news and am also putting the commerce/law degree I have been chipping away at to good use, thanks to Westpac, who have taken me on board in the private banking sector.

I’m really enjoying all my roles at the moment, but the news took me out of my comfort zone early on. I had just two days training before I was reporting the sports news off an autocue on live TV.

It was a very steep learning curve and the live atmosphere doesn’t make it any easier. Happily though I found reading the news to be very similar to swimming in the sense that you only get one opportunity to do it right. Being surrounded by good supportive people helped a lot.

Three months down the track I think I am doing well at it and will be co-hosting Wide World of Sports this weekend with the one and only Ken Sutcliffe. It’s an experience I am looking forward to.

Aside from those gigs the possibility of going to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics has been raised and whilst I won’t know what my role will be for a while I feel I am ready for it. Eddie McGuire has been mentioned as the man to anchor the broadcast and if I get the opportunity to work with him I’d be chuffed. Eddie knows his stuff and is certainly someone I can learn from.

I’ve also got a co-hosting role on Nine’s lifestyle program ‘What’s Good For You’ beginning tomorrow night at 7:30pm, so make sure you tune into that.

As I mentioned I am also working on a finance career with Westpac and am enjoying it immensely, although I find myself locked away in the study when I am home reading textbooks. It’s just like university but a bit more intense.

I miss the competition but don’t miss the training at all. For so long I had such a regimented program that it feels good to be rid of it and not constantly tired from early starts.

I think one of the keys for me after swimming is to make sure I am busy and doing something I enjoy which challenges me, and both my roles with Nine and Westpac certainly do that.

It’s no secret some sportspeople in the past have struggled with what they would do after they finished their careers and I hope I can show that you are able to do whatever you want should you put your mind to it.

I’ve also been lucky in the sense I have kept sponsors like Telstra and Uncle Toby’s as well as being able to shoot some ads for Tourism Queensland, which isn’t a bad gig to come by. We went via helicopter to Fraser Island, Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay amongst other locations in a whirlwind two day shoot which was very enjoyable.

Outside of work, Candice and I are looking forward to the birth of twins in the not to distant future and believe me I’m making sure I get my sleep in now!

I’m sure I’ll realise what a valuable commodity sleep is once the babies arrive. Candice and I were planning on having kids in the next year and to have twins I’m sure will be a blessing and the good moments will outweigh the sleepless nights.

It’s definitely going to make my parents happy. My brother has just welcomed his second son Harrison into the world along with his other son Lachlan, which means mum and dad will have four grandkids to spoil later this year and Christmas will be very enjoyable.

It also means I’ll actually have a valid excuse to go toy shopping!

I’ll be back with another blog next week with some of my thoughts on the current Aussie swim team.

Grant