A change in environments is somewhat of a comfort zone for Ruby Heath.
The Wellington swimmer is about to compete in her first international event; a feat she's credited to her recent move south and training with the world's best at Swim Dunedin.
"I decided during lockdown of 2020 that I wanted to pursue open water swimming," Heath told 1News.
"I knew that the squad down here in Dunedin would give me what I needed to get to represent new Zealand on the world stage."
The NZ Open Water Champion only joined Swim Dunedin a year ago and already she's muscled her way to her first world championships where she'll compete in the 5km, 10km and 25km events.
"The ultimate goal is the Olympics one day [but] to make this world champs is just, I'm just still in shock," she said.
It's hardly surprising though when you learn who she's surrounded by, with Olympic swimmer Erika Fairweather a training partner, and former champion swimmer Lars Humer her coach.
"Part of open water swimming is being fast in the pool and you'll see on the world stage that the open water successful swimmers in and around the world are all pretty quick in the pool," Humer, a former representative in the NZ Open Water Swim Team, said.
Humer swam under the great Duncan Laing - the last coach to take a Kiwi swimmer to an Olympic medal - but now has three of his Swim Dunedin athletes off to the world champs in Budapest.
For Heath, she's just getting her feet wet before a long quest to become New Zealand's first female open water swimmer at an Olympic Games.
"These other swimmers are just two arms, two legs and, ya know, when it gets tough, they hurt just like you do," Humer said.
"You realise it's more doable than what you think."
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