Campbell Wright left for Europe this week to continue his push to achieve what no Kiwi male has ever done - compete in biathlon at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
At just 19, the Wanaka local is already the youngest competitor on the World Cup circuit.
Biathlon is one of the traditional winter sports, which was showcased to a wider world audience with East German champion Erich Kriegler playing a villain in James Bond film - For Your Eyes Only.
But Wright finds a lot of Kiwis aren't sure what he does.
"Oh every time it's the old 'is that running and biking, is that swimming and running?'"
What it is, is a mix of cross country skiing and target shooting.
It's not just about how accurate you are though, speed is also important.
"The absolute freaks of nature can pull it off in like 25 seconds, but I'm a 30 second kind of guy."
That helped him finish fourth at the youth Olympics last year and now he's upgraded to the pro ranks.
"I was the youngest person to get a wildcard spot." - so I'll be the youngest person there for the first two World Cup rounds."
There he'll be looking for a top 16 finish to cement an Olympic spot.
It might be a winter sport - but on the snow isn't the only place you'll find him.
Being based in New Zealand, Campbell's had to find a unique solution for training when there's no snow on the mountain.
"I'm also 19 and in an old person's sport more or less, it's not freestyle skiing so many years ahead."
With time on his side, it's surely only a matter of time before a kiwi is at the top of biathlon.
