Amanda Burrows, of Dunedin, underwent lifesaving gastric bypass surgery nearly one year ago, and on Saturday took a leap of faith when she skydived over Queenstown to prove she now fears nothing.
"I guess I just wanted to live life as best as I could," an ecstatic Mrs Burrows said after her jump.
"You face fear when you jump out of that plane, and I tell you what, I had no fear."
Last year, Mrs Burrows weighed 130kg, suffered from life-threatening type two diabetes and took drugs for her kidneys, heart and liver.
Doctors told her she would not live to see her 39th birthday.
After seeing diabetes patients who had lost limbs and gone blind, she decided it was time to do something about her weight and health.
"I've got a husband and three children to think about, too."
Despite losing her 160kg mother to the same surgery, she went under the knife and has since changed her lifestyle.
The significant date of 11.11.11 was Mrs Burrows' initial aim.
However, overcast weather meant she leaped at 4pm on November 12 instead.
The 39-year-old said that while she was up that high, she never really thought about her fear of jumping. and before she knew it she was free-falling for an entire minute and "loved it".
"Two, one, out! You're off.
"All the fear, panic and anxiety I have been through in the past year, this was the next stage."
Mrs Burrows said she would recommend the "life-changing" jump to anyone who has been through trauma because now she had done it, "nothing" would stop her.
Since surgery, she has lost 50kg, just 15kg shy of her goal weight.
Mrs Burrows wants to inspire others to do the same by opening up a motivational health advice and exercise business called "Work in progress", or WIP.
"People like to find excuses not to go to the gym because people will look at them.
"I want to tell them how life can be so much easier when you're not carrying all that weight."
Mrs Burrows is proposing to ask the Ministry of Health, doctors and other health practitioners for support on her latest business venture.
"I'm passionate about this. I want to give it back."
She said her point of difference was that she had been to the very edge of obesity and knew what it felt like.
"I've lived it.
"I'm real and I'm living proof of what it is like.
"I know the excuses and I'm going to know what to say to them."
