Misty May-Treanor Talks About Post-Olympic Plans

What happens for Olympic athletes after the spotlight on the games fades away? INSIDE EDITION sat down with three-time gold medal winner Misty May-Treanor, who knows a thing or two about life after the Olympics.

The fierce five gymnastic team is on top of the world.

McKayla Maroney said, "It's really just so great and such an honor to have this sort of popularity. All these girls are living it up and soaking it in,"

The gold medal gals started their whirlwind victory tour of America today. First stop: the Empire State Building in New York City.

Life couldn't be better now for our Olympic heroes. But, experts say, their lives can change dramatically once the spotlight dims. It's a condition that's come to be known as the post-Olympic blues.

Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere told INSIDE EDITION, "They tend to be very depressed or very sad because they have to make this adjustment to life without the adulation they get."

Volleyball champ Misty May-Treanor, just back from London, has three Olympic gold medals under her belt. She knows what those post-Olympic blues feel like.

May-Treanor told INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd, "It can be just emotionally draining, and it does take a while to bounce back."

Boyd asked, "How do you go from this ultimate high of the Olympics, to kind of ordinary life? How do you make that transition?"

"Oh gosh. I think my life is ordinary no matter what. I just happen to excel in a different aspect of it. I feel like my life is full and I've stayed grounded."

Bruce Jenner, the father figure of the Kardashian clan, was an American hero when he won the Olympic decathlon in 1976. But soon after that victory, he fell into a deep funk, saying he was "devastated by the finality of it all."

Taraje Williams Murray, an American who competed in judo at two Olympics warns on his blog:

"Ordinary life is a lot different than viewing the world from the lofty vantage point of Mount Olympus."

Misty May-Treanor says she focuses on family and the future. She's also a spokesperson for the Allergy and Asthma Foundation's Ditch the Drip campaign.

And gymnastics golden girl Gabby Douglas says her sights are already set on the next Olympics.

"I haven't considered retiring because I'd be too young. I'm definitely thinking about Rio," said Douglas.

In short, our heroes need to find new goals and new challenges to avoid those post Olympic blues.

To see more of our interview with Misty May-Treanor, watch the video.