Not many people would consider waking before 6am most mornings to push themselves to their limit physically.
But Tauranga Boys' College rowers Sheldon Noyce and Daniel Bridgewater are not most people.
The pair, who form the backbone of the Tauranga Boys' College eight, which is tipped for its best tilt at Maadi Cup glory since the school last won the cup in 1997, represented New Zealand with distinction at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
In the January event, Bridgewater and Noyce won silver medals in the lightweight double and men's eight, and bronze in the men's quad.
Rowers were eligible for selection up to under-20 by mid-January, so the two schoolboys are ahead of the steep curve charting New Zealand's next wave of rowing stars.