"It was last Monday [March 23] when we all went into isolation mode," said Nugent-O'Leary this week.
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Get daily headlines from the Whanganui region straight to your inbox."I got to weights training, thinking that we actually had training, because I missed the whole announcement by Jacinda [Ardern], and then everyone was like, 'see you in four weeks'."
The athletes were advised to head back to their Cambridge flats, but Nugent-O'Leary knew the best place for her was the Marton farm.
While it's "many hands on deck" helping mum and dad on the property while in isolation, she is still keeping up a rigorous training schedule with three sessions per day.
"I made the call to come home for that time, because being in that limbo, four weeks at least, being at home is quite good.
"I've been lucky enough to get the ERG [indoor rowing machine] from Aramoho and then the weights obviously from Rowing NZ, and then I've got my bike.
"I'm lucky enough to be able to run out on the farm as well, so I'm pretty sorted for land-based options at the moment, which is a big help.
"Rowing NZ have been giving us programmes, and still very much keeping us informed.
"I feel like we're in good hands."
Nugent-O'Leary's unflappable positivity in the face of such an unprecedented setback probably comes from the journey she had already been on in the past three years, just to get back to the elite level.
"The last probably six months, having made it back into the summer squad again, it's really just sort of being one step to the next, to the next.
"The end of 2016, I made the summer squad, the NZ training squad, and then the second week I came off my bike and broke my arm and knocked my head.
"I was out of rowing for about 18 months with the concussion symptoms, so about two years ago I was learning to row again.
"It's been some pretty dark days with the concussion, just the length of the time it took to come right, and just not knowing if it was going to come right."
She feels that battle has just given her the tools to cope with the current situation.
"That injury was beneficial in showing me that sport, or anything, is not permanent, and also anything can happen.
"Like this experience, where there's a bit of limbo and stuff that you're not sure what's going on, having had that already through injury, it's sort of helped, where I feel like I'm in a better position now [to cope].
"At least I can train still, which is good."
Nugent-O'Leary's last competition was the NZ Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro back on February 18.
She came fifth in both the Women's Premier singles sculls and the double sculls, teaming with Sophie MacKenzie.
