Contenders willing to put their chins on the line in for charity are being sought by organisers of the 2012 Queenstown Winter Festival.
Festival director Simon Green said the call had gone out for participants in the Thriller in the Chiller event, which last year attracted 1300 supporters at the Queenstown Events Centre.
The Thriller was firmly focused on the personal development of all those brave enough to put their name to the challenge, Mr Green said.
"We've got an amazing team of trainers ready to put our aspiring contenders through their paces and we are committed to once again raising the bar in terms of the fitness and technical ability we develop among our participants for 2012.
"The role of our entire team is to do everything in our power to ensure that all the match-ups are as fair and evenly matched as possible and that by the time the big night rolls around, everyone is as confident, comfortable and supremely prepared as we can possibly get them."
Training for the Thriller was split into two camps.
The first five-week "Contender Bootcamp" will begin on March 19.
The camp was limited to a maximum of 50 contenders.
Application forms are available online at winterfestival.co.nz.
At the conclusion of the Contender Bootcamp, those who will go on to compete at the Thriller will be chosen.
Those successful contenders will then enter an eight-week training camp.
Mr Green said the camps were not for the faint-hearted and were targeted at men and women looking for a "serious personal challenge that will take them well outside their comfort zone".
Head boxing trainer Daryl Giddens and head physical trainer Richie Heap would push contenders "harder than many will have ever been pushed before".
"It is not about who is the best boxer, or the fittest individual. It is about finding the right people, who are approaching the event for the right reasons and helping them get as much out of the experience as possible.
"And what better incentive to commit to a training programme, than knowing from the outset that you will be getting up in front of 1300 people and showing them what you've achieved, all while helping raise money for a deserving local charity?"
