After four years training at Florida State University on the sunny south-east coast of the US, Linden Hall this week received a frosty welcome home to Melbourne.
"It's been a bit of a shock to the system - I'm not super keen running in the rain," she said.
Last month, Hall satisfied Olympic qualification for the 1500 metres with a personal best of four minutes 47 seconds at the invitational meet at Stanford University in California.
It was the first time Hall had run under four minutes and 10 seconds but that personal best didn't last long.
Australian 1500 metres runner Linden Hall training in the Melbourne rain. Source: SBS News
Less than a month later, she cut another three seconds off her time to become the third fastest woman over the distance in Australian history, all but guaranteeing her selection for the Rio Games.
"I don't want to speak too soon just in case, because still have to wait for that final selection- and I'm counting the days until that - but I am feeling pretty confident about it," she told SBS News.
Becoming an Olympian was a dream that began in childhood.
Hall was just nine during the Sydney Games, but she made a keepsake box for the event and filled it with Olympic paraphernalia.
"I kept the Olympic lift out from the newspaper every day for the whole two weeks and I decorated the box and hand drew the Olympic mascots and the harbour bridge and the Australian flag on it," she said.
"If you're not thinking about trying to get on a podium, why are you there?"
She's hoping to add a few more newspapers to the box, but with her own name in print.
"If you're not thinking about trying to get on a podium, why are you there?" Hall said.
"You just have to show up and race as hard as you can."
She said the times weren't always a deciding factor over 1500 metres.
"The 1500 is just one of those events that can be won in 4:30 and sometimes it can be won in 3:55, so it can be slow and tactical, but if you can race smart and get through the rounds and do everything right you can get yourself in to the picture," she said.
Hall runs 100 kilometres every week, rain, hail or shine.
Her dedication has seen her slice nine seconds from her running time in the space of a month, and claim the title of Australia's fastest improving athlete.
Linden Hall's sister Ellen Hall and mother Robyn Westover. Source: SBS News
Despite her achievements, her mother Robyn Westover said Hall was untouched by vanity.
"She's very humble and she'll never boast about anything she's done, but she's very self-confident and self-assured, and very disciplined," she said.
Hall's Olympic status is so far unconfirmed but the family has already booked tickets for Rio.
However, her sister Ellen Hall said her ticket may be a waste.
"People keep saying I shouldn't get a ticket because I get so nervous when she runs, and they think I'll be a waste of ticket because I won't be able to watch," she said.
Hall heads to Germany next week, then to the IAAF Diamond League Games in the UK, then hopefully onto Rio.
While the post code is always different, she said the pre-race text message from mum never changes
"Something along the lines of 'Run like the wind Bullseye'," she said.
Hall will find out if she has been selected to represent Australia in Rio in mid-July.
