Twenty-nine years after a potentially paralysing accident, Nicki Fairbairn has won a bronze medal for her country.
The 47-year-old Dunedin woman returned from Toronto last week, having been part of the New Zealand archery team that placed third at the Invictus Games.
It was Ms Fairbairn's first time at the Games, which bring together military personnel from around the world who have been injured or ill.
Having also competed in the swimming relay, the rowing and the individual archery, she said it had been an incredible experience.
''It was just phenomenal; it was amazing,'' she said.
''It was my first time there and it was mind-blowingly inspirational.
''Some of the people there, the injuries they'd suffered and they were fighting through to swim a length of the pool, it was just amazing.''
October 23, 1988, was the day life changed for Ms Fairbairn.
A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, she was a pillion on a motorcycle whose rider was forced to take evasive action when a car towing a trailer did a U-turn in front of them without indicating.
She was thrown from the bike, landing on the trailer before falling on to the road.
She was in a coma for two weeks, and there were fears she could have been paralysed on the right side of her body.
Luckily she was not, although she had to relearn how to walk and use her right arm.
She also had a collapsed lung and a closed head injury, both of which give her ongoing problems.
She had to exercise regularly, as having more than two or three days off would cause her lung to revert to its collapsed state.
She also suffered situational depression from the head injury.
Her sport helped with that, as did her dog Kobi, who she dubbed her ''anti-depressant dog''.
She had achieved plenty since and was now working as a relief teacher at early child care centres and trying to find a full-time job in order to buy a house.
The stress of being so far away from home - she travelled further than anyone else at the games - made for an intense week.
In one of the more light-hearted moments, she set up a photograph that went viral.
The team had been standing in the rain, after winning bronze, waiting for a photo with Invictus Games founder Prince Harry while he gave his condolences to the UK team, which New Zealand beat 3-0 in the playoff.
''[Prince Harry] jumped in right next to me and I've got my arm around him and he's says 'Sorry I've taken so long' and I said 'that's all right, we've got our own prince'.
She was referring to their team patron, Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata.
''He was standing like two [people] away, so they did the hongi and it got spread all around the media and everything, so that was pretty cool.''
Being the only competitor from the lower South Island posed challenges for Fairbairn, both mentally and financially.
However, she was set on making the trek to Sydney for next year's games, where the New Zealand team is expected to increase from 24 to 90.
''We're determined. We'll be there.''
