For 15-year old Erika Fairweather, standing on top of the podium seemed fairly natural.
The Dunedin-native stormed home to take gold at the swimming Junior World Championships in Budapest , winning the freestyle 200m race.
Qualifying in third place, Fairweather was an outsider for the win, Australia's Lani Pallister the favourite after three other golds at the same meet.
No one told Fairweather that though. The Kiwi led from the first turn, eventually closing out a nail biter to take victory by 0.13 of a second.
"I knew I was in with a shot going into the last 100 metres," Fairweather told 1 NEWS.
"I could see the other girls but I didn't think I was winning it. It still hasn't sunk in, it's crazy."
The teen sensation was quick to thank her parents, their sacrifices starting to pay off for the young swimmer.
"My parents take me training every morning, support me unconditionally.
"It was really nice to have something to show for all the hard work I do, and the hard work they do for me."
This morning's performance shaved a second off Fairweather's New Zealand age-grade record, another second sitting between the senior record held by Lauren Boyle.
Former New Zealand coach Mark Bone was an avid viewer of Fairweather's win, hinting that there's even more to come.
"She's got great endurance, I don't think she's got great speed at this stage but she will continue to develop that as she gets stronger, she's only 15."
Fairweather is currently back in training in Hungary, before returning to New Zealand where she has school on Thursday.
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