He's not competing as an athlete at the London Olympics but Tauranga's Rory Malone is using his musical skills to be part of the Olympic festivities.
The 19-year-old singer and songwriter will follow the Olympic flame around the UK with the aim of playing 100 gigs from the north of Scotland to the south of England in six months.
"I love performing and getting out on stage, especially when you sing a song that people know and they sing it back to you, that's what I really love."
The aspiring musician has played the guitar since he was 12. He was part of the band A Kiss Goodbye for five years and, during that time, the band performed gigs in New Zealand and twice toured the United Kingdom.
He's using his contacts abroad, as well as a bit of help from his father (who used to be a band manager and European tour organiser), to help him secure gigs. So far he's booked 70 gigs - some intimate performances to a crowd of 50, others music festivals with thousands of revellers and official Olympic entertainment shows.