Just nine months ago, some poor performances at the national championships saw BikeNZ withdraw its support for her in its high performance programme.
Schofield was ''devastated'' and seriously considered giving up the sport.
However, her ''heart was still in it'' and her grit and determination to succeed means she ''is getting close'' to being included in the programme again.
The 30-year-old, who relocated to Cambridge a year ago, was in Dunedin for 10 days over the Christmas period to visit friends and family.
Looking back at a ''messy'' time in her seven-year cycling career, Schofield was ''pleased I stuck with it''.
''At that time, I was devastated. It was kind of a turning point. `Do I keep going or do I close up?' But I wanted to finish on my own terms,'' she said.
''I decided to stay up there and continue on my own, which was a battle in itself. Trying to find new facilities to train in and new people to train with. It was different and difficult, but I'm coming out of it now.
''I found good people up there to train with. There is a good network up there just outside of the high performance programme. So I've been very fortunate to have those people that have helped me through the messy times.''
By the time the Oceania track championships in Adelaide came around in October, Schofield was training with the New Zealand squad ''kind of full-time again''.
Schofield had a solid campaign, winning the women's 500m time trial in 35.309sec, narrowly beating fellow Kiwi Stephanie McKenzie.
The pair then combined to finish second in the team sprint final, behind Australia's Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton.
Most recently, Schofield and McKenzie finished 10th-fastest among 22 teams, just over a second behind leader China, at the track cycling world cup in London last month.
''The direction of our women's sprint programme is still up in the air,'' Schofield said.
''So it's a race-by-race case. If we do well at one, we get to go to the next one.''
While Schofield was back in Dunedin to catch up with friends and family, she stuck to her training schedule - where she trains six days a week, sometimes twice a day.
''It's a hard one, because I have come down to see family and friends and I'm not seeing much of my family or friends,'' she said.
''It's a hard balance, but I'm very fortunate to have family and friends that are really understanding and behind me all the way.''
Schofield enjoyed her first year in Cambridge, calling it a ''neat little town'' and a ''lovely'' community, but said she always missed Dunedin.
She goes into a training camp in Cambridge today in an attempt to gain selection for the last world cup of the season in Colombia on January 17-18.
Whether or not she makes the national team for Colombia, Schofield will compete in the national championships in Hamilton starting on January 29.
Schofield is not looking too far ahead this year, but has set herself some goals for the next couple of months.
''I want to gain some New Zealand titles that I didn't get [last year], defend a couple of titles and hopefully add a few more,'' she said.
''Obviously I want to make the world championships team for Paris in February - that would be a big plus. And to get a top-eight finish in the team sprint there would be a good start.''
-by Robert van Royen
