Standing at the side of the mat, adrenaline pumps through Chanel Kavanagh's veins.
She's about to take on a girl who is two feet taller than her.
But Chanel is not a teen to be messed with - she's a judo expert and was a stand-out competitor at the New Zealand Secondary School Judo Championships held at Aquinas Action Centre in Pyes Pa yesterday.
Her petite physique worked to her advantage in the fight - her first of the day - which she won against a competitor from Wellington.
"Before a tournament you get really nervous but after your first fight everything feels so much better," the 17-year-old said.