So much so that she has forgone the chance to be a torchbearer in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

All Olympians were asked if they wanted to participate in the torch relay, which will take place in Tasmania from August 1-5.

Mrs Youl seemed to have too many other things on her mind to consider applying and she is not so disappointed that she won't be carrying the torch.

She is glad that other Tasmanians will also get a chance to carry the symbol of Olympic competition.

``It's nice for other people to be involved,'' she said.

Her attention is now directed to her family _ husband Andrew and their children Nicholas, 4, and Hamish, 2.

``The children have to be your priority, especially when they're young,'' she said.

Mrs Youl was 19-year-old Audrey Moore from Launceston when she competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, swimming in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 200m medley relay.

She finished sixth in the 100m, 16th in the 200m and suffered the disappointment of seeing the Australian relay team disqualified _ the swimmer doing the breaststroke leg dived into the pool too early.

But she has plenty of wonderful memories of the Olympics.

``Oh, look, it was heaps of fun,'' she said, breaking into her signature wide smile.

And Mrs Youl does journey down memory lane every now and then, such as at the recent FINA World Cup at the Hobart Aquatic Centre, where she caught up with old mates, including ex-swimmer Rob Woodhouse, a former flatmate.

Of the current crop of swimmers, Mrs Youl has a soft spot for Susie O'Neil and backstroke wizard Lenny Krayzelburg, of the US.

After starting to swim competitively at the age of nine, she retired from swimming in 1987, a veteran of two Commonwealth Games (1982 in Brisbane, where she won bronze in the 100m backstroke, and 1986 in Edinburgh).

She also worked as a Qantas flight attendant before starting her family.

Mrs Youl now tries to swim every Saturday morning in Launceston with the Aussie Masters.

``That's my time. And I really enjoy it _ they're such a nice bunch of people. I spend most of my time talking,'' she said, laughing.