This time four years ago Erin Taylor was still at high school, but in August her dream will come true when she becomes New Zealand's first woman to take to the Olympics in a flatwater kayak.

Fresh from her 21st birthday, Taylor has enjoyed a meteoric rise in her sport and admits it has come sooner than she expected.

Currently ranked 16th in the world, earlier this year her goal was to make the 2012 Olympics in London.

But that all changed when she won the Oceania champs in March to qualify for Beijing.

"When I started my goal was towards London but the more I trained I had little goals along the way it kinda became more realistic," she said.

"When I got the chance to race at the Oceania champs it made it more real and made my focus Beijing."

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Raised on Auckland's North Shore, Taylor admits the Olympics will be a huge step up from anything she's ever experienced before.

With a background in surf lifesaving, she will contest the K1 500 race in China against the world's fastest paddlers.

Taylor is a very down to earth competitor who fully realises the weight of a nation will be on her shoulders.

And in her first Olympics she freely admits she will be full of nerves.

"I do get very nervous, I'm quite inclined to throw up before a big races so there'll probably be a bit of that.

"Having to deal with race-offs I've had I think has prepared me quite well. I'm sure the Olympics will be even more pressure but at least I've had a taste of it."

In the three months since her Olympic selection Taylor has been working closely with coaches Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald.

She has been toiling away at getting her technique perfect and increasing strength and power.

While her male counterparts Ben Fouhy, Steven Ferguson and Mike Walker are genuine medal chances, Taylor is gunning to make the final which would place her in the top nine.

She knows she's not a favourite but that's something that might play into her hands come race day.

"I'm definitely the underdog; there are a lot of girls that are really fast. I obviously know them all and they don't know me."

If all goes to plan Taylor is hoping the whole world will know her name when the competition at Beijing 2008 draws to a close.