Saya Sakakibara is experiencing the usual rollercoaster of emotions as she eyes the missing piece of her silverware puzzle at a home world championships.
The Olympic BMX champion and multiple World Cup winner will race for a rainbow jersey at the Brisbane track just up the highway from her Gold Coast home.
The world's best, including British great Bethany Schriever, will jostle in the year's biggest race that has kept Sakakibara tossing and turning all week.
"It's a once-in-a-career opportunity, to have a home worlds," Australia's sole Olympic champion in the discipline said ahead of racing from Friday to Sunday.
"There's been excitement, then a lot of confidence, then doubt, the overthinking, then back to calm.
"All these emotions.
"But I have that before every race. I've done everything I could, all I have to do is trust myself and get out of my own way.
"I know there's a chance it could go wrong and I could walk away being heartbroken, but I'm willing to wear my heart on my sleeve and say that I want this."
Compatriot Izaac Kennedy will be among the favourites in the men's event at the Chandler track set to host Brisbane's Olympic competition in 2032.
French men swept the podium at their home Games two years ago before Sakakibara held her nerve in the race of her life to deny a hometown golden BMX double a day later.
"It's a good taster of what it might feel like," she said of a home world championships six years before Brisbane's Olympics.
"Having the loudest cheers ... in Paris, there was one French rider in our final and hearing the stadium light up for her I had to smile for her.
"I haven't been able to win that world title. To do it here would be just, I can't even imagine what it would be like."
Sakakibara said there was an extra element of expectation that came with any advantages to riding in a big event on your home track.
"To have this only an hour away from where I live ... I train here three days a week and it's one of my favourite tracks in the whole world," she said.
"You should know the track more than anyone and I've battled with that this week but I can trust myself and don't have to overthink it."
