Michelle Smith - After The Ban

After The Ban

Her experiences at the CAS had an effect beyond her swimming career. It was there that she developed an interest in the law; after officially announcing her retirement from swimming in 1999, she returned to university, graduating from University College Dublin with a degree in law. In July 2005 she was conferred with the degree of Barrister at Law of King's Inns, Dublin. While a student at the King's Inns she won the highly prestigious internal Brian Walsh Moot Court competition. Her first book, Transnational Litigation: Jurisdiction and Procedure was published in 2008 by Thomson Round Hall which is respected in legal circles.

In 2007, she appeared on Celebrities Go Wild, an RTÉ reality television show in which eight celebrities had to fend for themselves in the wilds of rural Connemara. At the launch of the series, she refused to appear on The Late Late Show if host Pat Kenny made any reference to her swimming career. This came after RTÉ show executives told the former swimmer that some reference would have to be made to her controversial past. After the show, an RTÉ spokesperson stated that Michelle had made the decision not to take part when faced with the ultimatum. In an interview on national radio, Smith stated that she had been faced with an ultimatum from the national broadcaster, to go on the show and to answer questions about her ban, or else the broadcaster would not permit her to appear on the show.

Smith has always denied using illegal performance enhancing drugs. In 1996, she released her autobiography, Gold, co-written with Cathal Dervan.