The preparation is almost over and the real thing is in sight.
Having left New Zealand more than a month ago, three Otago athletes are about to compete at the para-athletics world championships.
Holly Robinson, Jessica Hamill and Anna Grimaldi make up half the New Zealand team, which begins its campaign in London on Saturday.
Taieri competitor Hamill, who is set to compete in the women's seated shot put (F34), was announced as the team captain yesterday.
It is an event in which the 26-year-old has fared well previously, claiming silver at the championships in 2006 and 2015.
She also claimed bronze at last year's Rio Paralympics in the event, with a throw of 7.54m.
With a season-best throw of 7.37m, she is a way off that this year, although enters the championships ranked fourth in the world.
She will have to wait her turn though, with her event set for July 17, making her the last of the Otago trio to compete.
Grimaldi will be the busiest of the group. The 20-year-old, who was born without a right hand, will compete in the 100m, 200m and long jump (T47 class for all).
That means her championships begin on the first day and finish on the last.
Having won gold in the long jump at last year's Paralympics, she enters these championships ranked as the world's best.
Her jump of 5.58m at the New Zealand championships is 13cm farther than her nearest competitor this year and 4cm off her winning jump in Rio.
She has also recently broken her own national records in both the 100m and 200m and could be a medal chance in each.
Robinson, whose left arm ends just below her elbow, is another who has been in good form.
Having previously won silver and bronze medals at the championships, as well as a silver in Rio, she is well-positioned to go one better in the javelin (F46).
She extended her national record to 42.68m, more than 2m further than her nearest competitor this year.
Her event goes to a straight final and will be held on Sunday.
Former Otago javelin thrower Rory McSweeney, now of Christchurch, is in the team, as is Auckland's Keegan Pitcher and Canterbury's William Stedman.
The team, which is led by Paralympics NZ high performance manager Raylene Bates, also of Dunedin, has been to Fiji and Cardiff in preparation.
Several of its members, including the Otago group, also travelled to Townsville for two competitions.
