Fernandez (21) has been skating since the age of 8 and has competed on the international scene since 2006.
The Sydneysider was the Australian junior champion in 2006, runner-up in the senior championships a year later and the champion in 2009.
Fernandez started his international career in style by finishing 16th in the Four Continents championships in 2007 and 17th in 2008.
This proved he had the physical skills to develop into one of the world's best figure skaters.
But doubts crept into his mind after this and his development slowed.
"I've always got nervous before competition but mental blocks started to creep in," Fernandez said.
When he dropped back to fourth at the Australian championships last year he took a year off competitive skating in a bid to overcome his problem but still continued to train on the ice.
"I wanted to get away from the stress of competition and come back stronger," he said.
He consulted a sports psychologist and was told to practise visualisation and do a lot of deep breathing before competing.
"I just had to get the little things right and it has worked for me in the few competitions I have had recently," he said.
He was also told to write down the five goals he wanted to achieve from each competition and this has given him a better focus.
His immediate target is to win the gold medal at the Winter Games today and longer term to compete for Australia at the Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014.
Fernandez is one of five siblings and is the only member of his family to be involved in elite sport. He has the backing of his mother, Marisa Fernandez, who has been his biggest supporter since he started skating.
"I enjoy the artistic side of the sport," Fernandez said. "It is a challenge putting together a routine and making it work out on the ice."
His favourite routine, and his best scoring sequence, is the double triple toe combination.
• Auckland schoolgirl Iyrin Quigley (14) won the novice girls event with a combined score of 69.44 points from Australians Eiland Kenyon 62.49 and Kirsten Hargreaves 60.61.
Hargreaves was leading after the short programme and was one point ahead of Quigley on 25.69 points, but the New Zealander got the advantage in the free skating yesterday.
Today's competition starts at 1pm at the Dunedin Ice Stadium with the junior women and men.
The senior women's free skating will be held between 4pm and 5pm and the senior men between 5.20pm and 6.15pm.
