World Rowing Championships are nothing new to Margaret Cremen but this year's edition in Shanghai will still mark a "new adventure" for the Irish Olympian.
The Rochestown, Co Cork native has been to two Olympic Games in her career to date, taking to the water as part of crews at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Both times it was in the women's lightweight double sculls alongside fellow Cork woman Aoife Casey, but with that category no longer part of the Olympic rowing programme going forward, Cremen has made the switch to the double sculls.
At these impending World Championships in China, which will run from 21-28 September, it will give her further time to acclimatise to the open weight category which she will be contesting alongside crew-mate Zoe Hyde, who has more experience in that regard having competed in the double sculls at the Paris Olympics just over a year ago.
"It's disappointing that lightweight has been removed from the Olympic programme but at the same time, it's a new adventure, new chapter," Cremen told RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill.
"Like it's tough weighing in two hours before the race. It's nice not having to think about that and doing something new and a new challenge as well. So looking forward to it and seeing what it brings."
In the lightweight female category, no rower could weigh more than 59kg and the combined average weight could not excede 57kg.
However, that is not a concern in the double sculls and on those upsides of not being constrained by weight limits, Cremen added: "I was a lightweight rower for the last two Olympic cycles so I'm now on the open weight rowing team so it's great not having to think about weight and things like that.
"Partnering with Zoe has been very fun and enjoyable and really looking forward to the World Champs just to see what we can do and hopefully we'll peak at the end of this season. That's what we're aiming for."
Cremen feels she has been making progress alongside Hyde, including a fourth place finish at the European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in early summer.
"We do have the tools to do very well, so as long as we do our very best, that's all we can ask for. It's exciting," she added.
The "easygoing" rapport between the duo has been a breathe of fresh air, according to both, with Kerry native Hyde enjoying the new partnership she has been forming with Cremen.
"I came back after Paris really looking forward to a new project, something a bit different and Mags has been the answer to that, so it's been a really exciting project," said Hyde.
"I think we can do really well. I think there's a lot of potential with me and Mags.
"We've gone to two regattas in the last two months and they've gone pretty well for a new pairing to be honest. So we're just really excited to step on from the last two regattas and see what we can do.
"I think we both look back on it to be like 'we've done it before, there's no reason why we can't do it again', so I think that's definitely a bit of a confidence boost going forward."
And while they will be targeting being in contention for medals at the Worlds, the main emotion for Cremen right now is much more simple - it's just the joy of having been back in and amongst it with the other Team Ireland crews that have been preparing in Cork.
"I love being in camp with everyone. It's my happy place. These are my people," she said.
"I think after Paris with the lightweight being gone, it could have been a fitting ending. But I think my reason for coming back was these are my people and it's where I'm at my happiest.
"As long as I'm enjoying it and I feel that way about rowing, I'll keep going."
