Brennan was part of the launch of a new AIS athlete wellbeing and engagement summit in Canberra on Tuesday and the timing of the conference was perfect for the 32-year-old.

New Zealand rugby gave a presentation on the top three performance stressors for players, which included injury, failure to perform and retirement.

The last one was poignant for Brennan, whose elite rowing career is on hold after winning gold at the Rio Olympics two years ago and is now expecting the birth of her first child in August.

But rather than drawing a permanent line under her glittering career, which includes three Olympic medals, two world titles and being unbeaten in the single sculls since 2014, Brennan is on a "gradual process".

She admits she doesn't "have the urge" to jump back in a boat right now, but that doesn't mean she won't in the future.

"I haven't formally announced [anything about my future] because there hasn't been one day where I've thought I absolutely could never [compete] again," Brennan said.

"It's just been a period of time where I've realised how far I've come since I was in the boat racing for my country and realising how many great opportunities are out there that don't involve rowing a boat really fast, backwards.

"I think the challenge is you remember the good bits. I love racing and representing my country, the people I got to work with in rowing.

"But it is also a huge commitment and you don't want to underestimate how hard it is to be the best in the world.

"I'm actually enjoying having more balance in my life at the moment. In a lot of ways, that's a good place to be."

The conference of sporting minds, organisations and officials was the start of the AIS' new approach to be a world leader in athlete welfare.

That means preparing athletes to cope with the pressure of performing and retirement, making the subjects a priority rather than an after-thought like they have been for much Australian sport's history.

Brennan is well prepared for whatever is thrown her way next. The Ernst and Young consultant juggled life as a lawyer and an elite athlete for the four years leading up to her Rio triumph.

She was at the peak of her powers when she won gold in the single sculls at Rio, despite having to power through what was described as "unrowable" conditions in the heats.

Brennan then carried the Australian flag into the closing ceremony and found herself facing an uncertain future when she and husband Scott, also an Olympic rowing champion, found out they were pregnant.

The good news is Brennan knows she wants to stay involved in sport as either an athlete or administrator to help the next generation, even if that means she doesn't compete again.

"I think my mindset at the moment is that I've got a lot of exciting things in my life and I'm actually really enjoying watching the [rowing] team go away and compete," Brennan said.

"At this point in time, I don't have the urge to go back [to compete]. But I would love to help them in a different way.

"After the [Rio] Olympics I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep rowing or not. But moving into a new career as a consultant, and loving that experience, and the challenge of being a mum, for me it's been a transition over a period of time.

"As much as I love sport and everything it brings to the community, there are different ways for me to contribute to sport rather than rowing a boat fast. I'd love to be involved in sport in a different capacity."

Brennan is one of the most respected athletes in Australian sport. She is also forging a reputation as a respected administrator after previous roles on the Australian Olympic Committee's athletes' commission.

She withdrew from her duties as the Australian youth Olympics team leader earlier this year after finding out she was pregnant.

"[Having a child] is the type of things that changes your priorities. There's no way with a young child that I would be able to do the amount of training I was doing when I was an elite athlete. It's a different part of my life, it's exciting.

"What might have been daunting a couple of years ago, I think I've realised what I've learnt in my rowing career has actually held me in good stead for the rest of my life.

"I feel like I've got great people around me to forge a new path."