The blubber builds on many a retired swimmer immediately after they turn their back on the daily discipline of training but some return to thrive again. So it is with Australian Olympic gold medal winners Duncan Armstrong, Todd Pearson, Bill Kirby and former Canadian world silver medallist and double Commonwealth champion Mark Versfeld.

They have teamed up to join the Gage Roads team in the annual Rottnest Channel Swim Down Under today. With the time difference and a 5.45am start, they might even have been fished out by the time you read this. More than 2,000 other hardy souls are in the wash with them.

Now 37, Armstrong, Olympic champion over 200m freestyle and silver medallist over 400m at Seoul in 1988, told the West Australian: "After years of eating, drinking and partying, I had put on a lot of weight. For many years, I had dedicated myself to training and I had sort of let myself go. I decided to do something about it as I didn't want a heart attack."

Last year he competed in a few triathlons and ran his first 42km marathon, taking about four and a half hours. He is now looking for a massive PB at the Brisbane marathon later this year.

Heaven knows what advice his old coach in Queensland, Laurie Lawrence, might have for him: if you're out there Laurie, time to get in touch for some Armstrong strong-arm tactics.

Meanwhile, Pearson, Kirby and Versfeld are not quite at the fighting flab stage just yet. The Australians took the gold alongside Ian Thorpe and Michael Klim in that stunning 4x200m victory in Sydney 2000, Pearson also a member of the even-more stunning win over the US in the 4x100m relay at Homebush.

Versfeld, silver medal winner over 100m backstroke at the 1998 world championships in Perth, went onto win both the 100 and 200m titles at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur later the same year.