Emily Cournane (29) is among a group of 10 internationals aiming to become the first to riverboard one of the biggest white-water rivers in the world.
She is not scared, just "a little bit nervous. We've got a pretty good team and between us all we've got a good wealth of knowledge.
"We sort of talked about this mission a few years ago."
A mission, indeed. Fed by the Himalayas, the Sun Kosi River is renowned for swallowing rafts much bigger than the one Cournane owns, so there is no wonder this is the first attempt to get across it.
For the uninitiated, river boarding is when an extremely brave boarder negotiates white-water rapids using only a body board, a set of fins, a buoyancy aid and a much-needed helmet.
Cournane first tried the sport when she was 16 in the Kawarau River, near Queenstown.
She said the sport was addictive, and since she began she had "never really got away from it".
Asked if this dangerous "hobby" had really prepared the qualified massage therapist for what lay ahead on November 18, she had no doubt.
"I'm pretty sure all of those years have given me the experience, I hope."
The boarders hope to cover 30km of water a day and to complete the challenge within 10-12 days.
The team met in Queenstown at the New Zealand White-water Boarding Association. It consists of members from the United Kingdom, the United States and one dry-lander from Israel.
Cournane is a self-confessed adrenalin junkie who has always had a huge interest in the outdoors, mountains and water.
She said she was originally more interested in mountaineering and snow-based sports until the rapids took her.
"I guess I grew up in Queenstown and there is so much to do, right?"
If riverboarding is a tactical sport then Cournane's plan is to stick with the group, use the currents and crawl to the end.
She will train on the Kawarau River before leaving on November 12 to meet the rest of the team at Kathmandu on November 18 when it all begins.
