Her sudden emergence into New Zealand rowing's elite this year has been unusual.
At the start of the year the University of Otago student was just a promising rower.
She now has her eyes on the London Olympics.
Bourke (22) has joined North End club rowers Lucy Strack and Hamish Bond in the New Zealand elite squad that starts training at Lake Karapiro on November 29.
"It's been a long and hard year and it's good to be rewarded at the end," she said.
Bourke, who comes from Takapau in Hawkes Bay, was a member of the New Zealand quadruple sculls crew that finished sixth in the final of the world championships at Lake Karapiro early this month.
It was a remarkable achievement for the crew of Linda Matthews, Genevieve Armstrong, Sarah Gray and Bourke because they had been training together for only 10 weeks before thechampionships.
"I had no experience in a quad before," Bourke said.
"I was thrown in at the deep end. But we gelled as a team."
Bourke gained selection for the world championships after being a member of the New Zealand eight that finished runner-up to the United States at the world under-23 championships in Belarus in July.
Standing on the podium sparked the hope Bourke could be in the medals at 2012 Olympics.
"When I stood on the podium it felt like an out-of-body experience to be No 2 in the world. Twelve months ago I was rowing on the Otago Harbour and now I was standing on a world championship podium."
Bourke started the sport just three years ago at the University of Otago.
Her brother Campion (24) had rowed at a New Zealand University Games when he was a surveying student at Otago.
"He enjoyed it and had fun," Bourke said.
"I'd always wanted to row but had no opportunities when I lived in Hawkes Bay. I decided to have a go.
"I'd never played any sport before I started university. I was tall and my friends told me to try rowing. I caught the rowing bug and never looked back."
She won the novice double sculls with Genevieve Martin at the national championships at Lake Karapiro in 2008.
Bourke attended the Otago University Rowing Club trials to select crews for the Easter tournament in 2007, liked the sport and realised she had talent.
Her potential was recognised by her university coaches Sonya Walker and Glen Sinclair.
"Fiona was tall and had exciting potential," Walker said.
"She is determined and focused and I knew she had the potential to go as far as she wanted."
"I have set myself several goals in my studies and rowing and tick off my goals when I achieve them," Bourke said.
Eighteen months ago she targeted competing at the world under-23 championships this year.
When selected, she upgraded the goal to winning a medal.
"I was lucky to be in a club like Otago University that had top facilities and coaches who helped us if we were prepared to put in the work."
Bourke spent three years in Dunedin studying for a double degree in commerce and chemistry.
She took a break from her studies this year to concentrate on rowing but intends to start again at Waikato University next year while she is training at Lake Karapiro with the New Zealand elite squad.
