Commonwealth Games champion Lewis Clareburt is taking the plunge, leaving behind his long-standing coach Gary Hollywood, Wellington training base and family to relocate to AUT Millennium in Auckland's North Shore.
The swimmer is at peace with the decision that follows several years of tension over lane availability with the Wellington City Council's public pools.
Clareburt said if he's to reach his goals at next year's Paris Olympics, he could no longer accept the regular disruptions to his training schedule and limited access to the capital's only 50-metre pool at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie.
The 24-year-old said he often felt like he was walking on eggshells with pool staff.
"I felt like I was under a magnifying glass at the pool. If I stepped one foot out of place, the hammer would come down on me and that creates a tough environment to walk into as an athlete," he told 1News.
"I felt I deserved better."
But parting ways with Wellington also meant leaving his coach Gary Hollywood, who Clareburt has been with since he was 16.
"It's been tough. Two weeks ago, I made the decision to move and looking back on it, it's been an emotional rollercoaster," the Commonwealth Games gold medallist said.
"He's the reason why I'm still here, you know – apart from my family."
The Commonwealth Games gold medallist says his ability to train at the Wellington City Council-operated public pools has become untenable. (Source: 1News)
Clareburt said the decision "was really tough for both of us".
"He has a young family here – he's locked into Wellington which has made it tough to depart."
While there were discussions for Hollywood to stay on in some capacity, the swimmer and his mentor ultimately felt it was best to go their separate ways.
"He came to the conclusion that he thought he would be doing me a disservice trying to coach me while being in another programme," he explained.
"He trusted me to choose a programme in Auckland that would best suit me, which I'm still going through."
But the leading New Zealand swimmer is optimistic about his outlook and chances now moving forward, nine months out from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Clareburt will be moving to Auckland this weekend, and has until February to prepare for the upcoming World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
"The setup is there – it's just waiting for me to walk in."
He said making the move to New Zealand's largest city means there will be less distractions and the appropriate facilities "on a bigger and better scale".
"You have the gym, the physios, the pool there and have the ability to be surrounded in that environment where there are high-performance athletes competing at an Olympic medal level," he said.
"After Worlds this year, I had a new wave of excitement to be competitive on the world stage and being in Wellington has potentially been withholding that."
Clareburt claimed two gold medals in the 200m Butterfly and 400m Medley, and a bronze in the 200m Medley at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
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