"It took a long time to deal with his death," she said, as she prepares to head out on a training ride.
"We had plans ... all the dreams, that was the end. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do."
Shrimpton has mountain biked for several years and became a more serious rider last summer.
On a ride earlier this year - on what would have been Nick's birthday - she came up with the idea for the epic mountain biking fundraiser.
"I wanted to do something and Rotorua's wonderful mountain biking trails provided the inspiration."
Kelly and Nick, who was English, met in Rotorua and when his work visa ran out in 2006, they headed to Ireland.
They were in Dublin when he began to feel unwell. He insisted that Kelly return to New Zealand while he went to the United Kingdom to try to get some answers as to what was wrong.
Kelly headed home and a week later Nick was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He told her he thought he would get well and would join her in New Zealand. He died the following month.
"It was a very tough time," said Kelly on reflection.
"It made me realise how hard it is for people going through these terrible illnesses, so if I can do anything to help I will."
What the 34-year-old will be doing is riding 961km in four weeks.
"Knowing me, I'll top it up to the full thousand," she added with a smile.
During the summer months she rode up to 100km a week and as part of her training she is doing two 35km rides at the weekend and fitting in some training around her work at local surveying company Canmap Hawley during the week.
Her employers are fully supportive of her challenge and so is the Rotorua community.
"Oh yes, the support's been fantastic, getting the word out about it all," she said.
"My local bike shop, Cyclezone, are sponsors, Gary Sullivan from NZO clothing designed a wonderful logo, and Central Design & Print organised a poster."
One of New Zealand's toughest mountain bike races, the Magellan Whaka 100, is on the Sunday of Labour Weekend, on Rotorua's renowned mountain bike network. Part of each entry fee will be donated to 31Ks for 31 Days.
"A metric century, off-road is really hard especially with big climbs and tricky, technical single track that will spit you into the ferns if you aren't focused," said Rawiri Bhana, the Whaka 100 organiser.
"What Kelly's doing is a really huge challenge, so we decided to help her out."
It is part of a commitment by Bhana and his company, Nduro Events, to give something back to the local community.
"While racers in the Whaka 100 are slogging away out there, they can feel good that they're doing something to benefit a good cause at the same time," he added.
Kelly will be riding part of the Magellan Whaka 100 course on race day on October 26.
"I'll have done over 180km already that week, so I won't be riding the whole race distance," she added with a laugh.
"Magellan have given me a GPS to track my rides so I'll know exactly how many kilometres I have done."
Other Rotorua mountain bikers are planning to join Kelly for parts of the challenge. Graeme Simpson, who survived a very close call with cancer himself in 2012, will be one of them.
"This time last year, I was still unsure I'd ever ride again," he remembered.
"But at Labour Weekend, I went out for my own little Whaka 1 and have been riding in the forest regularly since then."
He is impressed with Kelly's effort in the 31Ks for 31 Days project.
"I was one of the lucky ones and got a second chance, unlike Nick," he added.
"Anything to raise money - and awareness - deserves as much support as possible."
Simpson said the trails of the Whakarewarewa Forest have inspired him and played a big part in his recovery.
"That place has healing powers that are hard to explain."
The target of 31km for 31 days is to raise at least $10,000 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.
With five weeks to go until her big challenge Kelly has already raised $1000 towards her goal.
"When Nick passed people said time will heal and my greatest fear was that that would mean my memories of him would fade. I've learned that time changes things but my memories remain strong and 31Ks for 31 Days is for Nick."
She paused for a long moment.
"I do have butterflies, but I'm really looking forward to it, now. It will be a big adventure ... he would have loved it."
31km for 31 days
For more information visit: www.facebook.com/31Ksfor31Days
Or to donate visit: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/31Ksfor31Days
Magellan Whaka 100
When: Saturday, October 26
Where: The Whakarewarewa Trail Network, Rotorua
For more information visit: www.whaka100.com.
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