LONDON - Most-decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, 27, is thinking about improving his golf game and travelling. Gold medallist Victoria Pendleton, 31, is looking forward to getting married and doing "normal stuff." Misty Elizabeth May-Treanor, 35, is carting her beach volleyball gold medal home to focus on family.

As the London Games come to an end, some 30-odd retiring Olympians face the daunting question what's next?

For world-class athletes who have focused their lives on training, their next Olympian task has no direct path: Readjusting to a routine outside competitive sports and creating a new life that may or may not involve the limelight.

The challenges have given rise to a small field of advisers who specialize in helping retiring athletes cope with what can be an abrupt change.

"These people have a strong Olympic identity; they see themselves only as athletes. Unless they have good friendships and connections outside of sport, it can be quite painful," says Misha Botting, a sports psychologist at the SportScotland Institute. "Most experience a low-mood state after the games because it's such an exciting event."

As gold medallists , Phelps, Pendleton and May-Treanor have endorsement and coaching possibilities far beyond most top-level athletes, thousands of whom will be leaving London without a medal to gild their careers.

Some retiring athletes can suffer depression, according to retired Olympic gymnast Craig Heap, although he told The Associated Press that he was "quite pleased" when he stopped competing at 29.

"I was looking forward to my retirement. I had achieved my best and was looking to start another chapter of my life," said Heap, now 39.

Going back to a normal life may run more smoothly for athletes with a day job. But for those who have never worked, the task might be more challenging. It's here that self-described "performance lifestyle advisers" can help them develop careers outside the sporting world.

"We go through their future plan of career, their skills," said Gary Penn, an adviser with the English Institute of Sport. "We look at their CVs (resumes), help them apply for work. Sometimes we do mock interviews for potential jobs."

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What's next? Retiring athletes face quandary as they adjust to post-Olympics life