Held every four years and the pinnacle of the sport, the Kaohsiung event will bring together many sports including archery, billiards and water skiing.

Ms Ewels recently won the Victorian Women's Open 15km Road Championship in Ballarat, a non-orienteering event, running to improve her fitness for the main game.

Using a map to find checkpoints in a certain order and in the fastest time, she will compete in the three and 5km events as well as a 4km mixed relay.

Ms Ewels, 28, moved to the area from Melbourne five years ago for work at Hancock Victorian Plantations, and trains in athletics with the Traralgon Harriers Athletic Club.

She orienteers for up to two hours a day and in Melbourne on weekends.

``I like the challenge of not only being able to run fast but having to navigate and think at the same time,'' Ms Ewels said.

``It's different to athletics, in that in athletics you have a fair idea of how you are going to run before the race.

``You have to have a spatial awareness to read what's up and what's down on a map and know what the features are like.''

She said it would be her hardest competition with 45 women from 30 countries competing.

In August she will compete in her fourth World Orienteering Championship, in Miskolc, Hungary. Last year she finished 14th in the long final, 27th in the sprint final and 8th in the women's relay.

In September she will compete in the World Mountain Running Championships in Valchiavenna, Italy.

``Most people say they wouldn't mind trying it at some stage. But it is harder than it sounds,'' she said.