Twigg accepted a place on the one-year, post-graduate Fifa masters course in the management, law and humanities of sport, taught across universities in Leicester, Milan and Neuchatel.
It was a risk. She and Rowing New Zealand parted ways for the duration of her course.
The governing body generally adheres to the principle no athlete can work outside the centralised programme. Their results suggest this methodology works.
Rowing NZ supplemented Twigg with a discretionary grant, but two years of taxpayer funding were lost through High Performance Sport New Zealand's performance enhancement grants. That figure was expected to be at least $115,000 ($60,000 as a world champion plus $55,000 if she'd maintained a podium place last year).
Twigg's performance yesterday suggests she's returned refreshed ahead of the Rio Olympic team announcement on March 4.
"[In a year away] I learnt a lot about my body as an athlete. Having that mental break, and even a bit of a physical break from the racing, enabled me to make massive adaptations in the gym and on the water.
"This week I'll get a good idea what my trial will involve. This was a lot more important to me than other girls who are mixing it up in combinations. For me it was a matter of letting them [Rowing NZ] know I'm still where I need to be."
