Long jumper Fabrice Lapierre was born in Mauritius and raised in Sydney, but at the age of 18 he left to pursue his athletic dreams in the United States. He spent the best part of 12 years there refining his skills.
Now he is on a mission to add to the gold medals he won in 2010, at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the World Indoor championship.
Just two years after those successes he hit rock bottom, failing to qualify for the London Games. Rio is his chance to make amends.
"I want to redeem myself and get that medal I've been waiting for at the Olympics," Lapierre said.
Michelle Jenneke is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The up-and-coming 100 metres hurdler is very much in the shadow of Olympic Gold medallist Sally Pearson.
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However, with Pearson still recovering from a broken wrist, Jenneke is hoping to win the national title and a place on the plane for Rio as a result.
"I've set her [Pearson] as a benchmark of where I want to be," Jenneke said.
The 21-year-old became an internet sensation when vision of her warm-up dance routine before a race at the 2012 Youth Olympics in Barcelona went viral.
She is now juggling her studies with modelling commitments, as well as the demands of being a full time athlete.
Should Rio becomes a reality, her career choice, at least in the short-term, will be made for her.
