Twenty years ago, Kiwi 14-year old Alethea Boon made her Commonwealth Games debut as a gymnast in Kuala Lumpur, now older and wiser, the Aucklander will appear at her third games - this time as a weightlifter.
Now 34, Boon is one of New Zealand's 12 strong weightlifting unit, aiming for gold when this year's Gold Coast games kick off in April.
After retiring from gymnastics, Boon picked up crossfit, where she initially struggled with the weightlifting aspect.
Rather than be deterred, Boon worked towards becoming a better weightlifter, now selected as an under 58kg representative for the Gold Coast.
Speaking to 1 NEWS, Boon says that she sees similarities between weightlifting and gymnastics.
"Both sports are about strength and power just expressed in different ways," she said.
Boon's coach Luke Starr credited the Kiwi, having overcome an Achilles injury, something that has ended more than one top athlete's career prematurely.
"The mental toughness she's had to apply to get through those times," he told 1 NEWS.
"She's had to modify a lot of training, so awesome to see her come out the other side of it."
While some may be daunted about a return to the top after her early experiences, Boon is more than ready to meet her challenge head on.
"I'm definitely in a better place to go and put a better version of myself out there."
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