The McCombie brothers, Dan (17) and Josh (15), have been making a name for themselves in the sport of downhill mountain biking.
Dan, a year 13 pupil at King's High School, has been selected to represent New Zealand at the world mountain-biking championships in Austria next month and Josh, a year 11 pupil at King's, won this year's New Zealand under-17 national championships after top placings in both the North and South Island series.
Dan was selected after he finished second in the under-19 South Island series and such was his drive to represent his country, he then rode in three legs of the North Island series with a severe haematoma in his thigh.
Despite finishing outside the top 10 in the two races in which he competed, he finished fifth overall in New Zealand.
Dan said, when he was told earlier this month that he had made the New Zealand team, he was thrilled at the prospect of representing his country and competing against the world's best.
"I was picked last year but couldn't make the trip, so this is a pretty special achievement."
While competing at the world championships, Dan will race in six races in six weeks. He was confident he could do well.
"Fitness won't be an issue."
He said his parents, Jane and Bernard, were extremely proud and were his biggest supporters.
"I couldn't have made it without them."
Dan thinks it won't be long before his younger brother gets a national call-up.
"We are really supportive of each other, but at the same time we are always trying to beat each other's times."
Josh said he would like to represent New Zealand, and hoped it would happen next year.
In the long term, he would like to become a professional rider.
He said it was "an amazing buzz" when he won the national title this year, after winning the under-15 title a couple of years ago, and it had spurred him on to aim for bigger things in the future.
Like Dan, Josh said his parents would do anything to support his ambitions.
He said the sibling rivalry was a healthy one because both pushed each other in positive ways.
The brothers train for about two hours a day, every day of the week, with a combination of gym work and riding.
It was hard work balancing schoolwork and sport, but the rewards were worth it in the end they said.
Both boys began mountain biking five years ago after being involved with BMX.
Their younger brother Olly was showing an interest in mountain biking and, if he decided to take it up, he and Josh would support him however they could, Dan said.
Fast Lane
Names: Dan and Josh McCombie.
School: King's High.
Achievements: Dan 2012: selected to represent New Zealand at the world mountain-biking championships, South Island championships second, New Zealand championships fifth, Oceania championships 17th.
Josh 2010: under-15 New Zealand national champion. 2012: under-17 national champion, South Island first, Oceania championship fifth.
