For an eight-year-old girl from Boronia in Victoria, Australia, the bright lights of the WWE were nothing more than dream - but roll on 20 years and that's exactly were WWE superstar Emma finds herself.
Having dedicated her entire life into sculpting a professional wrestling career, the 28-year-old will come full circle in September when she heads down-under with World Wrestling Entertainments' Raw brand.
Emma, who New Zealand fans can catch at Christchurch's Hornecastle Arena on September 13, said she will be pinching herself when she performs in front of friends and family in Melbourne a day later.
"I used to go to the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena, now it's really crazy to think I'm on the other side of the curtain and people are coming out and paying to watch me," she told Newshub.
"That's a special moment you have to take it all in and realise just how far you have come."
And that journey began on Friday nights at home watching the likes of The Rock, Trish Stratus and Stone Cold Steve Austin on television with her older brother.
Something clicked for the then eight-year-old; something that would never leave her as she broke through many doors to get into the industry.
"I fell in love with wrestling," says Emma.
"I remember thinking that 'there must be some way I can learn how to do this' and I never snapped out of that mind-set.
"I found an independent wrestling school, learnt my trade and just went from there - now I'm here in the WWE."
You would think that Emma would have found resistance from her family in being so focused on crafting a career in a business that so few crack, especially outside of the United States.
But it was quite the opposite.
Emma credits her mother with allowing her to live out her dream.
"My mum is one of my biggest supporters. She is the one who helped me break into wrestling and start training at such a young age even though she didn't necessarily want me to," she says.
"I nagged here so much and she would come with me to training and keep an eye on me.
"Because of her support I kept training all the way through school and by the time I was 19 she knew I wasn't snapping out of it - she knew it was the only thing I ever wanted to do.
"There were no questions asked. Wrestling was the only thing I was doing."
But the book on Emma's wrestling ascension is far from written as she heads into the prime of her career.
Claiming gold and performing in a marquee match at WWE's version of the Superbowl are part of the script.
"The rollercoaster that is the wrestling world - the injuries, the matches that I will never forget, all of that is just part of the journey to where I become women's champion and wrestle at Wrestlemania.
"At that point I can look back and just be so thankful and satisfied with everything I have done to get to that moment."
And if recent events are any indication, Emma has received noticeably more television time on Raw since she used the power of Twitter to state her case for a bigger role as part of WWE's flagship show.
With over 1.2 million followers and a trending hashtag, social media has very much proved to be a turning point in her career.
"There are so many talented females on our roster, so yes it can be hard to stand out, but in saying that I have one of the biggest social media following on the entire WWE roster.
"It has really worked for me recently because of my fans, the comments I had been getting from them made me react to it and you can see it's really paid off in the last few weeks.
"It's about time too, the whole #GiveEmmaAChance thing is real. I mean when do I get my chance at the championship, I have never had that and it just goes to show how social media can help."
Emma isn't expecting a warm welcome when she walks out in front of a New Zealand audience for the first time not that that worries her.
She said that embracing the role of heel is what she is about and being an Australian gives her extra cred as she bids to win her first WWE championship in a multi-women match.
"I have a fully decked out Australian outfit ready
"I'm coming back to my side if the world, I am really excited to win the match and put myself on top of the Raw women's locker room."
Newshub.
