AN URGENT dash down the street for sock shopping and other necessities was top priority for Ballarat's latest addition to the Australian Olympic squad yesterday.
Badminton player Erin Carroll received a late call-up to Beijing for the women's singles with a second round offer.
Her nomination has already been ratified by the Australian Olympic Committee this week.
The 22-year-old has one month of intense training and suitcase packing before she is China-bound with the Australian badminton team on August 1.
Carroll, a 2006 Commonwealth Games player, said realising an Olympic dream still felt surreal.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet at all and I don't have long before I leave," Carroll said.
"It was a little bit of a surprise, but I knew I'd qualified within the ranks and when (the selection) came through it was really exciting.
"I always kept training in hope and with no decision made on the women's singles that kept me going - it all paid off."
Carroll will become Ballarat's seventh badminton Olympian, following in the tradition of Murray Hocking (1996), Peter Blackburn (1996, 2000), Kellie Lucas (2000) and Stuart and Ashley Brehaut (2004).
She will be joined in Beijing by Ballarat Badminton Association manager and triple Olympian Rhonda Cator (1992, 1996, 2000), who will be Australian team section manager at the event.
Carroll's Olympic hopes were put to the test when New Zealand accepted the Oceania region's concession spot for the mixed doubles in late May, cutting Carroll and mixed doubles partner Ben Walklate out of contention.
Her world women's singles ranking of 100 and a bit of luck was enough to secure the late offer.
Carroll's road to Beijing was in doubt late last year when her Victorian team bus and a car collided in Geraldton, Western Australia, leaving her with cuts to her face and shoulder.
Looking back, Carroll said the incident had been a blessing in disguise.
"Before the accident I was completely focussed on ladies singles."
This made me stop and realised that I had more chances in the doubles and mixed as a player," Carroll said.
"Now coming back into singles I have new skills which I can apply to my game.
"I learnt so much and definitely sitting where I am today, I am lucky."
Carroll was honoured to keep Ballarat's badminton tradition going and, pencilled in to room with Cator in Beijing, hoped to pick up lots of Olympic tips from her mentor over there.
Most of all, she wanted to do her town proud: " I have to thank the whole Ballarat community because whether I've been down or up, they have really been behind me".