The Oamaru skier, who won gold in the breaststroke at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, has been selected in a 10-strong New Zealand team to compete at the Special Olympics Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2013.
Hewett, who has been skiing for 15 years, will compete in the slalom, giant slalom and super giant slalom events at the beginning of next year.
She was excited yesterday while chatting about her forthcoming trip, and said she was "stoked" to have been selected after winning a silver medal at the nationals in August last year.
"A couple of weeks ago they rang me and told me I was in the team. I told everybody at work and they were really happy for me."
Competing was enjoyable, as was travelling and being able to make new friends, she said.
Her mother and father had been very supportive, and having a brother who is a ski instructor in North Carolina also helped, she said.
Hewett will work with a personal trainer and travel to Wanaka for training camps before leaving with the team on January 19 next year.
