Emma Twigg's rowing career will go on the line at the end of this month when she lines up at the Olympic qualification regatta in Europe.
It's a chance she has to take if she's to have any hope of realising her dream of Olympic gold, and she's well aware of what to expect at the "regatta of death".
The Lucerne event is just three weeks away and Twigg must finish in the top three to qualify.
"I would say it's going to be a pressure cooker, people do some crazy things," Twigg says. "Olympic qualification is what people dream of."
It will be Twigg's first major regatta since winning her first world title in 2014.
She spent last year studying overseas, which forced her out of the NZ High Performance programme and meant she couldn't row at the world championships to qualify her boat for Rio.
However, she has no regrets and says it's made her a better athlete.
"I think I'm stronger, mentally better and experienced," Twigg says.
"It's been about enjoying being an athlete these four years, and knowing there's other things outside of rowing and I'm in a very privileged position right now to be an elite athlete and I'm making the most of that."
She is also preparing for starting line jitters.
"Normally I'm quite a cool character, but given the situation and given what's riding on it there certainly will be some nerves," Twigg says.
"It's not going to be easy, but I have to be confident that I can win the regatta."
And if she does that, her road to Rio will certainly become a lot clearer.
Newshub.
