Champion Australian cyclist Anna Meares says her retirement from professional sport helped her discover her sense of self.

The gold Olympian defied the odds when she won an Olympic silver medal just seven months after breaking her neck in a horror accident.

Her candid autobiography Now, to be released on Friday (May 1), reveals many of the personal challenges she’s faced.

Ms Meares admits her ego took a huge hit when she temporarily quit cycling.

“The hardest part for me was that the sport didn’t even glitch, at all, when I left,” she told Deborah Knight.

“I dedicated 22 years to cycling for Australia, and I just felt like it didn’t even miss me.

“When I stepped away from sport, I had to work out who Anna was.”

It was tragedy that brought Ms Meares back to cycling in a non-competitive capacity.

Her coach, Gary West, passed away almost a year to the day after she won her final medal.

“By going to his funeral, I was forced to reconnect with the people in the cycling family.”

Ms Meares hopes her story of triumph through adversity will inspire others to persevere, despite the challenging times.

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images