Sonia O'Sullivan recalled today how the tremendous backing displayed by Irish fans in Athens Olympic stadium banished any thoughts of retirement after her Games ambitions were ruined by illness.
O'Sullivan, the 5,000 metres Sydney silver medallist, started her final race over the distance suffering from a badly upset stomach and clearly was not in shape to mount any challenge for another medal.
But the 34-year-old bravely completed the 12-and-a-half excruciating laps. Three days after the race O'Sullivan admitted that she was not certain what the future held for her and that retirement was an option.
"I met with the Irish supporters who were in the Olympic stadium. Obviously I was still upset after the race but felt I must show my face," said O'Sullivan. "Going to the stadium was the best thing I could have done. It was good to go there and the fans were happy to see me.
"They were a little upset for me but every one of them was supportive of what had happened. They're marvellous folk. That's what really persuaded me I must carry on."
O'Sullivan has now announced her next major race will be the BUPA Great North Run on Sunday September 26th.
The former European 5,000m and 10,000m gold medallist defended her decision to contest the final despite the fact, healthwise, she was clearly not in shape and up to the challenge.
"I had to do it otherwise I would have wondered in the years to come what might have happened," said O'Sullivan. "Of course I was feeling pretty bad but I knew I had to turn out. In the final I thought I'd just try my hardest and see how things went.
"Who knows I might have got rid of the stomach pains and ran a personal best. It didn't happen but I did try.
"You cannot go to an Olympics and not take part if you feel you can run. Of course I'm disappointed at what happened. But now I'm back."
Last Sunday O'Sullivan won the Flora Lite Challenge for Women in a world-class five kilometres time of 15minutes 06seconds in London's Hyde Park.
She beat two-time Olympic 10,000m champion and Ethiopia's Athens bronze-medallist Derartu Tulu.
"I knew I was in good shape and of course it was a great way to bounce back."
Now she is looking forward to regaining the BUPA Great North Run title which was won by Paula Radcliffe when clocking the world's fastest-ever half marathon time from Newcastle to South Shields 12 months ago.
"I've got no races planned before then," said O'Sullivan. "I toyed with the idea of doing a 5,000m on the track but really there isn't any point in that. So everything is geared towards the Great North."