The Southern Hoiho stalwart has always used drawing as a creative outlet and started "doodling" on her iPad when it appeared concussion could put paid to her basketball career.
Drawing sports stars, animals and everything in between, Gallaher started selling her artwork online, and developed a design and content business.
It has allowed her to be self-employed for the past four years, alongside her basketball career, and gives her a nice balance.
Inspired by the New Zealand athletes before the Paris Olympics, Gallaher picked up her tools, drew some of the athletes and posted it on social media.
It caught the eye of the New Zealand staff, who contacted Gallaher to ask if she would be interested in designing a team poster for Paris.
She assumed she would be drawing just a couple of athletes but soon realised they were after pictures of all 209 New Zealand Olympians.
Drawing the intricacies of each person takes time — it takes her about an hour to draw one piece — and Gallaher had a busy two weeks drawing so many athletes.
To add to the task, Gallaher stepped up as manager of the New Zealand women’s under-17 team at the Fiba World Cup in Mexico at the time.
Managing by day, drawing at night — it turned into a huge month.
"It was a massive undertaking," Gallaher said.
"That’s the beauty of being able to do it from anywhere.
"It was a massive honour. Since then I’ve had the different athletes, teams reach out and express how cool it was, so I felt very grateful to be able to do that."
It led to other opportunities creating videos, and social media content for local teams, and she is now doing a stint with the Highlanders.
"It’s been a really cool kind of transition from off the court into the back end of sport and all the opportunities and possibilities in that space too."
Gallaher, who is sidelined under concussion protocols, is loving her third season with the Southern Hoiho — "I look forward to it every year" — and always considers herself lucky to run up and down the court for a job.
Having fulltime players join as imports this season added more experience, knowledge and leadership across the court.
"It’s been awesome to try and implement them into what we’re doing here at the Hoiho. They’ve been assets each in their own way.
"Across the league, it makes the league so much more competitive and ... brings exposure from all different parts of the world, so it’s been awesome."
She watched on proudly as the Hoiho bounced back from a one-point loss to the Tokomanawa Queens a week earlier to beat the Queens 88-83 in Wellington on Sunday.
They brought their "own fizz" to a tough away game and needed to repeat that against the Northern Kāhu at the Edgar Centre tonight.
"The girls did an outstanding job of that ... just backing each other, next play mentality and just getting after it and playing pretty relentless."
She praised the crowds they had attracted so far this season — "I swear each week we just keep getting more and more support" — and they needed to feed off that, and not take a step back, tonight.
The Northern Kāhu, who are the defending champions, come in off a 76-67 loss to the Queens.
