Until now, the Cook Islands have been all about family and fantastic school holidays for Tauranga Girl's College kayaker Ella Nicholas.
Now the 17-year-old - courtesy of dad Rob having been born in Rarotonga - could be using the idyllic Pacific nation as her ticket to the Beijing Olympics.
There's a lot of water, with every pun intended, to go under that particular bridge but Nicholas admits it would be her proudest moment.
"I love everything about the Cook Islands and I would be very proud to represent them," Nicholas said. "I also represented them last year and it is amazing how many people do not know the Cook Islands exist - basically everyone I met in Europe. This made me extremely proud of my heritage because it is so unique."
Nicholas has been in Beijing since the start of this week trying out the Olympic whitewater slalom course as part of a camp being run by the International Canoeing Federation.
The ICF invited her, along with athletes already qualified for the Olympics, because they see her as a genuine possibility for the 2012 games in London.
But another Tauranga paddler holds the key for Nicholas' ambitions for this year.
Luuka Jones qualified a New Zealand boat in the K1 for Beijing at the Oceania championships earlier this year but now needs to back that up with a top-16 placing at two World Cup meets in the next month.
That result will appease the stringent NZOC standards - though if Jones falls short, New Zealand's spot will be offered to the Oceania federation.
That's caused a sizeable dilemma for Nicholas, who will travel from Beijing to Europe next week for the Prague World Cup and upcoming junior world championships.
"Luuka and I are good friends and training buddies so I wish her all the best. I know that she is working very hard for it and I hope that she does qualify the place.
"If she doesn't I will have a huge decision to make - it would be an awesome experience that would be silly to turn down but I would have to think about it.
"At the moment I am focusing on racing my best at the world cups and at the Junior world champs and will be fully supporting Luuka in Prague."
Another Tauranga paddler, C1 specialist James Dawson, is also in the same boat as Jones, needing to finish in the top 16 at either the Prague or Tacen World Cups.
Nicholas, meanwhile, is finding the new Olympic course in Beijing a daunting experience this week, despite coaching from former world champion French kayaker Julien Billaut.
The purpose-built course is technically challenging and Nicholas admits she's spent most of her training sessions practising her rolling technique.
"There is a huge hole in the middle of the course which I roll on every time. I seem to spend a good part of the session going straight into walls and being upside down ... at least I have things to improve on!"
Tauranga schoolgirl eyeing back door to Beijing
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.