There is something romantic about the idea of plucking someone from obscurity and giving them their moment in the sun.
Reality television thrives on our insatiable diet for the "rags to riches" stories, and the greatest platform for this tends to be sport.
The movie Cool Runnings dramatised this concept in true Hollywood style, telling the story of a bunch of Jamaicans being taken from their hot, laidback lifestyle to the cold, and adrenaline-soaked context of competitive bobsleighing.
If you're a fan of the movie, you'll know the outcome of this combination.
They didn't win, but boy did they inspire all those around them (apparently).
In 2008, New Zealand decided to do something similar and create a "Beauty Mate" bobsleigh team.
A search on the internet reveals loads of stories about this initiative leading up to the Vancouver Winter Games but virtually nothing about how the team performed.
I believe they didn't even qualify.
Although men with athletics and rugby backgrounds were attracted to the idea of going to an Olympic event, it seems the bobsleigh team scooted out of our consciousness faster than they did down the ice tunnel and there is yet to be a movie created to tell that story.
Were lessons learnt from this initiative in 2008 and were these lessons passed on to other codes?
Who knows, but it seems history is repeating itself and the New Zealand Rugby Union is running a "Go 4 Gold" campaign to attract girls and women from any sporting background to play sevens at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
Approximately 50 Manawatu hopefuls turned up this week to see if they have what it takes to; a) play sevens, and b) win gold.
Will this campaign expose amazing female athletes and unlock rugby potential?
Will we see a repeat of the bobsleigh bomb or will we see an Alison Shanks prototype come out of obscurity ready to get bruised and battered for her country?
Shanks started cycling in 2005 and it took her only four years to win gold at the UCI World Cup Classics. Can a top sevens rugby player be developed from rookie to rugby star in four years?
At the trials in Manawatu, those women with speed, fitness, and agility were at an advantage in the fitness tests, but those with a background in sports with an oval ball excelled in the drills, skills and games sessions.
Which is more necessary when developing Olympic champions?
A base-line fitness level and ability to run fast and with agility, or the capability to pass and catch a ball, fend, and tackle?
Initially, those with the rugby skills will stand out in a game situation, but if the fit and fast ones are also fast learners, they may overtake the rugby/touch stalwarts.
Realistically though, how many stars will be plucked from obscurity in this campaign?
A study by Hoare and Warr, published in 2000, followed the progress of female soccer players who were part of a talent identification and development programme in Australia.
Athletes aged 15 to 19, with a background in team ball sports or athletics were targeted for recruitment using advertisements and promotions through various media.
Those interested, attended a two-day programme of testing which included assessment of anthropometric, physiological and skill attributes.
In many ways, this is similar to how the Go4Gold campaign has functioned.
The soccer squad eventually selected competed as a team and after 25 games in a reserve grade competition, 10 players were selected for zone teams with two players progressing to state team selection within 6 months.
Is this a resounding success with regards to recruitment and development?
For those women identified in this process, yes it is, but for the organisations resourcing it, I'm not so sure.
There is a need to focus on setting up competitions, coaching resources, and support structures around women's sevens if these women identified during this campaign are realise their potential to its fullest.
What is the point of having talented athletes and players if they don't have teams and competitions to play in?
What was the point of identifying potential bobsleigh athletes when we didn't have the facilities and competitions available for them to master their newly learnt skills?
Build the competitions first and the athletes will come.
Create sevens tournaments at the club, provincial and national level that are inclusive of women's teams and before you know it, the game will be enticing female athletes from other ball sports in no time, and there will be a plethora of talent on display.
That is the road to gold.
