She is taking a year out from Rowing New Zealand's elite programme to turn her full attention on preparing for life after rowing.
So not only does the single sculler want to get to the top of the podium, after two bronze and one silver medal at the last three worlds, for pure personal satisfaction, but it's about reinforcing a 'don't forget about me' message to RNZ that she is determined to return for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Twigg, who already has a Bachelor of Communications from Waikato University, has been accepted on the Fifa Master course, endorsed by football's world governing body, and where 32 students from around the world study at three different European universities -- Leicester, Milan and Neuchatel in Switzerland -- to attain an international masters degree in sports management.
"There's a mix of people and each place does a different module -- humanities in sport, finance and marketing, and sports law," Twigg said.
"It's a really eclectic bunch of people with different backgrounds, all passionate about sport."
Former Northern Mystics netball defender Charlotte Kight did the course last year. That was part of the spur for Twigg.
She will keep training, but academia will be top priority until July. That's where the risk element comes in.
As she won't be in New Zealand for the selection trials early next year for the 2015 season, RNZ have told Twigg she is ineligible to represent New Zealand at the worlds in France, where Olympic qualifying will take place.
That means opening up her single seat to a potential rival. Twigg, 27, would then be back in New Zealand to train from late next year with the aim of being in Rio. Twigg will continue to press RNZ to change its mind on the worlds, especially if no one has measured up in the single seat while she's in Europe.
However she also recognises the need to avoid getting stale and have an eye on her future.
"The last nine years of my life have been spent in Cambridge and I've always thought about life after sport," she said.
"I put my application in over summer last year when I was struggling a bit, particularly for mental freshness. I decided this is what I need to do to get through to Rio in the right frame of mind and have something after sport."
Twigg believes knowing what lay ahead has helped her this year, during which she's won all three World Cup titles, including twice beating Australian hotshot Kim Crow.
"I'm doing it so I'm in the right place, physically and mentally, rather than being stale and going back to the same environment. "It's really important at the Olympics that I have peace of mind regardless of what I've done in the last four years that it's been a success and there's something else after rowing."
Next week, however, it's all about the rowing. Twigg won world junior and under 23 gold medals. She's getting closer to completing the gold set, and figures she has ticked the right boxes in the leadup to Amsterdam.
She's had a good training block in idyllic Bohinj , Slovenia, near Lake Bled, along with the great men's single sculler Mahe Drysdale, the six years unbeaten men's pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond and the women's double and lightweight double scullers.
Twigg acknowledged the psychological importance of having beaten Crow in their two clashes this year, but knows "she's not the kind of person you write off, and if anything that'll have spurred her to train hard and change a few things.
"So you've got to take confidence, but also remain focused on what you're trying to do."
Twigg is one of those rowers within the elite programme who have been strong, consistent performers, but without quite cracking the heights of Drysdale and the men's pair.
"Certainly seeing them do it time and time again it makes me realise what great athletes they all are.
"It shows the kind of characters they are; they just don't want to lose and they're the benchmark and what we are trying to aspire to be."
Eight New Zealand crews are in heats action tomorrow night, starting with the women's pair of Rebecca Scown and Louise Trappitt. There is some heat on them after they were well beaten into third by New Zealand's No 2 combination of Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler at the Lucerne World Cup last month.
Prendergast and Gowler have been moved into a women's four.
Kiwis in action
The world championships start in Amsterdam tomorrow night.
New Zealand will field crews in 13 events, with longtime supreme men's pair combination of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond doubling up in the non-Olympic coxed pair.
Murray and Bond will be the only crew defending their world title from South Korea last year.
- by David Leggat of the NZ Herald
