"Not only did we win the Gold medal, but it was the competition where I felt like I made my mark within in team and discovered where I fit and how I could contribute to the team," Knox said.

After a disappointing campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Australia was knocked out in the quarterfinals in a penalty shootout, Knox decided to take time away from the sport to see what she wanted to do.

It ended up being an important decision.

"I needed to get other areas of my life in order, as it had been 12 years of everything taking a back seat to water polo," Knox said.

"Plus after a disappointing result in Rio, I needed to take the time to make sure I was either ready to retire from international sport or return.

Credit: Water Polo Queensland

"I decided the best way to approach this was to take the time off, returning and getting back to my peak fitness and decide if I still enjoyed the sport.

"I didn’t want the reason that I retire to be because I was scared of the hard work," she said.

With Tokyo 2020 one of the major tournaments coming up in just over two years time, Knox admitted it originally wasn't on her radar but she still enjoys being a part of the team and pushing herself.

"While I don’t want to rush into any decision, as long as I am still challenged and enjoy the sport I definitely see 2020 on the horizon," Knox said.

However, first up for Knox and the Stingers is the FINA World Cup in September, which they are in the middle of preparing with a three-week European tour.