By: The Telegraph - The life of an athlete isn't always easy or paved with gold. In kayaker Ken Wallace's case it's actually sand. Australia's most successful male athlete at the Beijing Olympics is back pounding the beach as a Gold Coast city lifeguard less than a year out from the London Games.

While golfers, tennis players and even teenage cricketers such as Pat Cummins will command big bucks as reward for their sporting prowess over summer, others like Wallace look to make a living outside the sport.

A gold and bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics who has struggled to find top form this year due to injury and illness, Wallace is now back working as a lifeguard to help pay his mortgage while he continues to campaign for his second Games.

And while he understands why a British runner this week put himself up for sale on eBay to raise funds for his Olympic bid, Wallace won't be following suit.

I kind of believe you should work for what you get," said Wallace, banking his pay cheques to cover bills when he is in Europe next year training and competing for the Olympics.

With top sports funding in Australia result-based, a down period can see an athlete putting their hand into their own pockets to back their dreams. In Wallace's case injury and illness this season have kept him for competing at top form and consequently failing to achieve top funding.

"I don't want to go to Europe in March worrying if I have money to cover my bills at home," he said of being back at work.

"I want my focus completely on the training.

"So I'm working to put the money aside to cover me during this period."

Wallace is used to being self-sufficient in a sport where there is no prizemoney and limited sponsorship.

"Before the last Olympics we had meat raffles at the local surf club to get petrol money to go to training, to help out with the bills" he said. "But I know there are a lot of athletes worse off and that all athletes, at some stage of their careers, have made sacrifices."

While Wallace is determined to walk away from the Olympics in London with more gold, he's not banking on it bringing him financial riches.

With the event in which he won gold, the K1 500m, now dropped from the Olympic program in London, Wallace will concentrate his efforts on the K1 1000m.