After giving him an ''amateur'' massage, he said: ''You've got great hands. My back feels great.''
It was what inspired her to train as a massage therapist at Otago Polytechnic, and now, 13 years later, she is about to become the first person to represent New Zealand at the World Championship in Massage (May 19-20), in Copenhagen.
The 41-year-old has forged a high profile in the profession by starting her own business, Keen As Sports Therapy, becoming the Highlanders' team massage therapist, and working with Hollywood actors, including Daniel Craig and Michael Fassbender, on New Zealand film sets.
Ms Keen said she would compete in two of the five categories at the world championship - the Swedish massage and the freestyle massage.
The other categories are Asian massage, spa and wellness massage, and chair massage.
About 120 massage therapists from around the world would compete, each judged on their technique, creativity and ergonomics around the massage table, she said.
Initially she wanted to do it ''for kicks and giggles'', but since then she has been schooling herself up on how to impress the judges.
It was also an opportunity for massage therapists to find professional inspiration, learn new techniques and network with fellow competitors.
She said the competition aimed to develop and promote the various massage techniques practised by experienced massage therapists worldwide.
While the competition was her main focus, she said it would also provide an opportunity to escape the Dunedin winter and have a six-week summer holiday in Europe afterwards.
She leaves for Copenhagen on Tuesday.
