Trish Pain does not seek the limelight but this weekend, the Kaitangata woman will take centre stage on national television when popular Kiwi series Mucking In returns for its 10th season.
The show recognises ordinary New Zealanders whose efforts often go unheralded but make a valuable difference in people's lives.
Mrs Pain has been a long-time advocate of helping people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
Her co-workers at the Balclutha Link Centre nominated her for the show and late last year, staff, friends and family, plus the Mucking In film crew surprised Mrs Pain at her workplace.
Stunned by the attention, Mrs Pain was led away by the film crew to inspect her gardens and begin the planning for the makeover that happened over a weekend last December.
Nearly 10 months later, Mrs Pain is still buzzing, although she is not too excited about seeing herself on the telly this weekend.
"It was just absolutely huge what happened.
"I still can't get my head around it."
"The makeover included a beautiful water feature in the middle of what garden designers called "a quintessential English country garden".
Paving, a new carport, two big garden sheds and even the traditional white picket fence were all part of the end result, which still has Mrs Pain buzzing when she sees it every morning.
The large team of volunteers who turned out to help is something she will never forget.
Family, friends and even people she did not know all turned out in force to help transform what was a tired garden into something spectacular.
"What those guys did in one weekend would have taken me 10 years," she said.
Perhaps the most touching part of the process was the fact her colleagues thought enough of her to nominate her in the first place.
"That was the most touching part for me.
"Of course, seeing the finished garden was also pretty special."
Almost a year after the makeover, Mrs Pain still has to pinch herself when she looks at her backyard.
"I don't like to touch anything in there.
"It's just too beautiful.
"So, apart from picking out the weeds, I leave it alone.
"Now that winter is over, the spring growth is really coming through, you can really see that is going to really flourish."
Mrs Pain said one of the biggest benefits of the show is how it will help highlight mental health in the community.
Having it screen during Mental Health Awareness Week was a highlight.
Mrs Pain, who was Clutha's rural woman of the year in 2008, is known for her compassion and ability to genuinely empathise and advocate for minority groups.
She is also heavily involved in the local country music scene, coaches guitar and singing and is also known to coach netball, give haircuts and give her time to help raise money for the local rescue helicopter service.
Mucking In returns to TV1 on Sunday at 7pm.
