KEY POINTS:
Hannah Keddell fancies the idea of a career travelling the globe playing beach volleyball.
Certainly the genes are on her side.
The Tauranga student's relatives include three-time world single-sculling champion and Olympic bronze medallist Mahe Drysdale, former world circuit skier Claudia Riegler and Mark Keddell, who ran the
200m at the Atlanta Olympics and is now on the 2010 Winter Olympic bobsled contenders list.
Having competed at the world under-19 beach volleyball champs in the Netherlands last August with her Tauranga partner Harriet McAdam, the pair have their sights on success in Sydney in January.
They are part of a 163-strong New Zealand team to contest the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
New Zealand's Olympic squad in Beijing included swimmers Daniel Bell, Glen Snyders and Lauren Boyle, rower Emma Twigg and triathlete Debbie Tanner, all of whom have taken the AYOF route.
And Keddell and McAdam are no different from the rest of the troupe heading for Sydney. "My ultimate dream is to play beach volleyball and go to the Olympics and represent New Zealand. We both feel that way, we'd love to play on the world tour," Keddell, an 18-year-old at Bethlehem College, said.
McAdam, also 18, is finishing Year 13 at Tauranga Girls High School. Both are studying for the final exams of their school life.
Once that's behind them, Sydney is on the horizon.
They formed as a pairing earlier this year, having both played indoor volleyball and represented New Zealand at under-17 and under-19 level.
"We transferred to beach volleyball because socially it was a lot of fun. Volleyball is very strong in the Bay of Plenty, they've set up a really good programme and we just jumped on board."
The Netherlands trip produced a 17th place finish out of a tough pool, but whetted their appetite - "it was awesome" - and opened their eyes.
"Even though we felt we were well prepared, we realised it was a whole new level of play. They could all physically jump way higher, and hit harder, so we came home realising we had to really improve our physical fitness," Keddell said.
They are a contrast. McAdam is taller and plays primarily in the front court; Keddell is the back-court half of the team.
"We're both upfront and honest with each other and that makes it really easy as a pair to know how we're feeling," Keddell said.
The other four beach volleyballers contesting the festival are also from BOP - Sam O'Dea and Sam Wallace-Boyd, and James Thomas and Ben O'Dea.
"We're all pretty tight," Keddell said.
And a placing in Sydney? "It would be cool to make the top 10 and we believe we're capable of doing that," she added.
New Zealand will field athletes in 14 sports, including gymnastics with three disciplines, artistic, rhythmic and trampoline, and canoeing, with both flatwater and slalom.
All have been named apart from the rowing and diving contingents. Among the familiar names is Christchurch cyclist Chad Adair, son of 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games kilo time trial gold medallist Craig Adair.
Swimming's contingent of 17 is topped only by 22 athletes and 24 basketballers.
The swimmers to watch include 15-year-old Biana Rowley of Whangaparaoa, who holds three New Zealand age group records and won four medals at this year's age group champs.
Ewan Jackson, from Alfriston College in Manurewa, won two golds and a bronze at the Australian age group champs this year.
The athletes are housed in an Olympic-style village with athletes from more than 20 countries.
Olympic swimming coach Jan Cameron is a fan of the AYOF and how it gives athletes a taste of what might lie ahead.
"It is their first multi-sport event and prepares them for the Olympic Games, the excitement, the variety of sport, the different types of people," she said.
The festival began in 2001. The majority of events will be held in the venues used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The age range of athletes is 13 to 19 and events run from January 14-18.
