Olivia HilhorstOlivia Hilhorst is excited at the long term benefits of representing New Zealand at the world long distance triathlon championships in Spain in June.
The former Gladstone School and Wairarapa College pupil who these days lives in Johnsonville and works in Wellington, has made giant strides since being attracted to triathlons about two years ago.
However, she is taking a realistic attitude about her chances in her first taste of international competition.
"For me it's all about building on experience, of learning from others who have been part of the sport for a lot longer than I have," she said.
"The mindset is more on doing as well as I can rather than worrying about where I might finish."
Hilhorst, 26, earned selection for New Zealand with an eighth placing in the 25-29yrs age group at the Taupo half-marathon in December last year in 5hrs 33mins and was intending to compete over the full Ironman distance, again at Taupo, last month only for the weather to intervene and shorten that to a half-Ironman as well.