Whanganui personal trainers and partners Kyle Murray and Amanda Foulkes are willing to travel to different points of the compass to test themselves against the best in the globe.
The owners of Wanganui Bootcamp will both entering international competitions over the next month.
Bodybuilder Murray will be supported by Foulkes as he heads to the Natural Olympia competition in Las Vegas on November 10-12, and then he in turn will support his powerlifting girlfriend at the Oceania Raw Powerlifting Championships in Christchurch, December 5-10.
Murray qualified for Natural Olympia after coming third in his division at the South Pacific Natural Bodybuilding Championship held in Taupo in August.
Having been weight training for 15 years, this is his second season of competing and Las Vegas will be his first overseas event.
Three weeks out, and Murray said he was feeling the strain that bodybuilders have to put themselves through to be ready.
"You're dealing with the hunger because training goes up and the food [intake] goes down, or stays the same.
"I'm looking forward to when the competition's done - going back to normal.
"Even single things like fruit, we're pulling the carbohydrates out."
After Las Vegas, the couple will be heading to New York as Murray will look to finally indulge in some of his favourite foods that he has long had to sacrifice - specifically pizza.
To finish in the top three at Las Vegas would be "fantastic", he said.
"It really depends on who turns up on the day. But I'm going to be at my best.
"I'm quite a fighter, quite a scrapper."
Foulkes earned her ticket to Christchurch to compete in the Open 57kg class of the Oceania Raw by coming in second place at the Raw Powerlifting Nationals in August - which was her first national event.
A relative newcomer to powerlifting, she has been seriously training for just over a year.
The nationals saw Foulkes fighting for a New Zealand record in the deadlift, narrowly missing out after holding the record twice for a few short minutes against the winner.
She will be vying to make the record her own in Christchurch.
"I am incredibly proud to be competing in an international competition for New Zealand at the Oceania's in December, especially after being in the sport for such a short period of time," Foulkes said.
The couple push each other to bring out the best in their training.
Murray placed inspiration quotes on his wall at home, while both of them put up numbers with the official countdown of days until their events.
"We do these things together - it's great having the support and we know each other best," Murray said.
The couple strongly encourage the use of strength training as a modality to get fitter, stronger and ultimately leaner.