The 26-year-old has drawn the curtains after 13 decorated years in the pool, signing off on a career which took Hocking to all corners of the globe and and saw her mix with the world's rich and famous.

The backstroke specialist has rubbed shoulders with Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Queen Elizabeth, to name a few, but on Thursday Hocking was back in the real world preparing for her first job interview.

Hocking returned to the pool after falling 0.48 seconds short of a maiden Olympic medal at the Rio Olympics and admitted she wrestled with the decision to quit for several months.

"It was an extremely difficult decision, I'm jealous of the people who can move on quickly. I got back in the water after Rio wanting to go to the Commonwealth Games but I probably knew after six weeks I was done," she said.

"But it took me three months to have a definitive clear answer that I didn't want to swim anymore and get to a point where I was happy to talk about it."

"It's hard when you're writing a resume for the first time and you think to yourself 'I already have a job', but being good at swimming isn't going to get you a job at safeway. That's where I think the transition is extremely difficult."

Hocking said it was simply time and ranked overcoming injury setbacks to make her third Olympic team in Rio last year and two Commonwealth Games gold medals as career highs.

"I remember being in year 8 when Thorpe retired and saying he was so young and that I'd never retire that young, but after 13 years you get tired of the training and injuries," she said.

"I'm not one of those people who can do things half baked, I have to give 100 percent commitment and I got to a point where I didn't want to give 100 per cent any more, so with respect to the sport it was time to say thank you and walk away."

Hocking was just 14 when she first travelled with the Australian team and wasn't old enough to buy a beer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but after more than a decade of international competition she is looking forward to life out of the pool.

"I'm going finish my degree [bachelor of primary education] and I'm doing a few public speaking events, but I'm still working things out, having swum for 13 years I can't expect to know exactly what I'm doing after three days," she said.

"I'm looking forward to enjoying the things I've missed out on like the social aspect, going to a friends wedding and enjoying it, actually being able to cheers without water," she said.

After earning a scholarship to the AIS, Hocking's family moved from country Victoria to Canberra to support her Olympic dream.

"I live in Melbourne now but my parents are still there and my fiance is from Canberra so it's home really, we'll be back, we love it," she said.

"My family has always given me the chance to be the best I can be and I'll always be so grateful because they did everything they could to see me achieve my dreams."