She just didn’t expect it to save the life of someone she loved.
But that’s exactly what happened in September 2025.
It is not surprising, then, that Ms Shefford has signed up for Back to Base 2026 and has set her goals high.
On September 2 last year, her household had all been sick with the flu.
So when her partner Mike Wentworth-Smith mentioned he had a "funny chest", she assumed it might be a chest infection.
He came home from work and told Ms Shefford he might need to go to hospital.
She took one look at him and said, "We’re not driving anywhere."
She immediately rang 111.
"He was sweaty and doubled over in pain, holding his chest. As I was talking to 111, he sat down and started clenching his fists. That’s when I wondered if he could be having a heart attack," she said.
Mr Wentworth-Smith had turned 44 the week before and was a healthy, fit man. This was not what the Timaru couple expected. The first responders arrived within two minutes.
They took an electrocardiogram, known as an ECG — a quick test that records the electrical signals travelling through the heart.
"Once they saw the results of the ECG, they called the rescue helicopter straight away. They needed to get him to Christchurch urgently," Ms Shefford said.
The pair, along with the first responders, met the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at the Timaru Hospital helipad.
"We didn’t even go into Timaru Hospital — it was straight to the helipad.
"It was a scary time, but we felt a sense of relief when the rescue helicopter arrived. It was an impressive sight watching it come in to land."
Mr Wentworth-Smith was flown to Christchurch Hospital, where doctors found he needed three stents.
Two surgeries later, he was recovering in Christchurch Hospital. Four days after that, he was allowed to return home to Timaru. He has recovered well.
Ms Shefford said he still got tired and bruised easily due to the medications he was on, but he had gradually returned to full-time work.
He had also returned to his beloved football field as a referee.
To give back to the rescue helicopter service, Ms Shefford was one of the first to sign up for Back to Base this year.
She’s challenging herself to walk 155km during August — the distance between Timaru Hospital and Christchurch Hospital, and back to base.
"I’m aiming to raise $1000 or more if possible. The rescue helicopter is such an amazing service," she said.
She had already planned how to achieve her 155km.
Every Friday during August, she and a friend were going to complete a local walk starting with the Whitehorse Walkway, followed by the treks at Mt Nimrod, Mt Studholme, and Little Mt Peel.
The couple, and their two sons, aged 12 and 15, were so thankful the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was there that day.
Ms Shefford urged people to support Back to Base — either by signing up for the challenge or by donating to someone who has.
"You really never know when you’re going to need the rescue helicopter. It’s such an important service, and it needs our support."
