For everywhere swimming has taken Emma McKeon, there's one pool she holds close to her heart.
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The water at McKeon Swim School.
So it's unsurprising that was the first pool she entered after her record-breaking performance in Tokyo.
McKeon's return to the water on Wednesday marked a stark contrast to the atmosphere and intensity of the Olympic Games.
Gone were the screaming teammates or the glare of the cameras. Instead, it was just McKeon in her happy place.
Far from being a reality check, it was exactly the setting McKeon was seeking.
A reserved athlete known for staying out of the spotlight, back in Wollongong is where the 27-year-old wants to be after a whirlwind month.
"It's starting to sink in," McKeon told the Mercury. "I had two weeks in quarantine, now a week back home and it's starting to sink in.
"It's hard going straight from racing at the Olympics into quarantine and lockdown, but it's given me time to relax, get all my energy back and reflect on everything."
There's been plenty for McKeon to reflect on, given she created history in Tokyo.
The accolades are extensive and will live long in the history books.
There's the seven medals, the equal most by a woman of any nationality at an Olympics. Then there's the four gold, the most by an Australian at a single Games.
Add in the four medals from Rio and McKeon sits level with Ian Thorpe with five career gold. With 11 in total, the Wollongong star is alone on top of the country's medal list.
The swimmer travelled to Japan confident she was in peak condition, but until she hit the water, question marks remained in the back of her mind.
Those queries quickly evaporated after the 4x100 metres freestyle relay final.
McKeon's split of 51.35 seconds was the fifth fastest in history, with Cate Campbell the only swimmer in history to go quicker.
It was a moment that left many in the aquatic centre in shock and sent a message to her rivals.
For McKeon it was the confidence boost she needed as she embarked on her quest for history.
"The relay's always a nice one to start off with, especially setting a world record and winning gold.
"My split in that relay was very fast, it gave me a lot of confidence in where I was, especially my second 50 metres.
"Then the next day winning bronze in the 100 fly with a PB in an Olympic final, it reassured me that I could perform in that environment."
In-form and full of confidence, McKeon knew her best was good enough for gold.
The challenge now was to remain focused on each individual race.
It's a cliche so often thrown around by athletes in the heat of competition, but for a methodical swimmer like McKeon, it was her reality.
"I wasn't really thinking about the seven medals," McKeon said. "I knew what I wanted to go over there and do, I wasn't counting how many or anything like that.
"I knew I wanted to win gold so I was focused on the process rather than thinking about the outcome."
For McKeon, that process started five years ago in the wake of the Rio Olympics.
While she won four medals, the swimmer returned home disappointed with her performance.
McKeon missed the top three in the 100m butterfly before finishing third in the 200m freestyle final.
It was in this period her quest for individual glory solidified. Gold was what she wanted and the swimmer would do everything she could to make it happen.
McKeon worked closely with coach Michael Bohl to plot a path to Tokyo, a roadmap that included dropping the 200m freestyle and focusing on the 50m and 100m sprint events.
The athlete's sports psychologist also played a crucial role in keeping the Gold Coast-based swimmer on track.
"The process has been going for a long time. In those last couple of months and weeks leading in, I was focusing on the little things like my skills, how I would swim my races and how I was going to prepare mentally.
"I would chat to my psychologist every two weeks. That helped a lot, the mind is such a huge part of anything I do."
While the 100m butterfly and 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays whet the appetite, they were merely the entree for the main course.
That was the 100m freestyle event.
This was the race McKeon had targeted for five years, the swimmer determined to shed her relay specialist tag and claim individual glory for the first time at a major championships.
Following the relay split and an Olympic record in the heat, all eyes were on the Wollongong talent.
The nerves back home were through the roof.
Jodie Henry, the last Australian women to win the event at the Olympics, was cautious with her words in an interview with the Mercury.
The Athens champion was petrified of placing undue pressure on her compatriot.
McKeon, however, was oblivious to everything that was happening back home. Her focus was on one thing and she was not feeling the pressure.
"I was in a race with the previous world record holder, the current world record holder, the Olympic champion. Everyone was feeling pressure to some degree.
"I felt like I wasn't the one to beat. With the calibre in that final, knowing I was racing all of those girls, that took the pressure off."
McKeon blitzed her rivals in the final, becoming just the second woman to dip under the 52-second barrier.
For those of us watching at home, it became clear with 15m to swim the Australian had the gold wrapped up.
For McKeon, however, it wasn't so clear.
It was only once she touched the wall and saw the scoreboard the Wollongong star realised she had achieved her lifelong dream.
"I wasn't shocked, I knew I was capable of doing it, I was just very happy and proud of myself for pulling it off.
"I knew all the hard work I had put in, I wanted it badly. It's quite easy for that to get away from you. I'm proud of myself for staying grounded and maintaining that belief in myself.
"To actually see that one next to my name and know I won an Olympic gold medal on my own, that was a very proud moment."
With the 100m victory in the bag, McKeon had two more days to etch her name into the record books.
That she did, completing the 50m-100m double and adding a pair of relay medals to take her Tokyo tally to seven.
The success took McKeon's career total to 11 and moved her past Thorpe and Leisel Jones on Australia's all-time list.
Given she plans on continuing to Paris, the 27-year-old will likely add to her total in three years time.
McKeon was six when the pair took the pool by storm in Sydney, those memories leaving a lasting impression on the swimmer.
Thorpe was gushing in commentary during the Games, one of Australia's greatest swimmers in awe of McKeon's achievements.
"This has been Emma McKeon's meet," Thorpe said on Channel 7. "She's been dominant, she's been brilliant, she's been fantastic.
"She skips across the water in a way that we don't often see, she's quite slight in her physicality, but the way she's able to move through the water is impressive."
For McKeon, comparisons to Thorpe remain difficult to comprehend.
"Growing up and seeing the success that athletes like Ian Thorpe have, it's incredible to have my name mentioned alongside someone like him," McKeon said. "I'm very honoured, it doesn't feel real to be mentioned in the same kind of lists as him."
Now home, the focus has turned to how to celebrate one of the Illawarra's greatest athletes.
Wollongong Council has opened submissions to the public, with suggestions ranging from a statue to naming an aquatic centre after McKeon.
They're honours that make the swimmer slightly uncomfortable, the athlete preferring to stay out of the spotlight.
"I'm just grateful for the support back here. Growing up here, I've always loved coming back to Wollongong and seeing my friends and family."
So, a statue it is?
"I don't think I would want a statue. It would be a bit weird walking along the Blue Mile and seeing a statue of myself."
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