Most 84kg people, having only played rugby since the age of 16, would not be cutting a swathe through the Heartland Cup before their 21st birthday.
But one glimpse of North Otago winger Whiria Meltzer in full flight is enough to know he is not most people.
Still, even he needed persuading that his blistering speed would be put to best use on the rugby field.
The talented former basketballer, who travelled to Rarotonga and Australia as a point-guard with age-group representative sides, credits childhood friend Chico Paparoa for opening his eyes.
"He said I had the gas, but I hated contact, and he was always telling me that I'd be really good. And then I played with him and I did pretty well, and so I started playing with him, and now I love it," he said.
"He was really good at rugby league and got a contract with the Gold Coast Titans.
"Then a week before he flew away he played in this Maori league tournament, and he got tackled I think, in a real hard tackle, something to do with his heart, and then he got hit again.
"He was really fit, and he had a heart attack ... no oxygen to the brain for 20 minutes ... there were no paramedics there and my mate's mum ran on the field and did CPR ... and then he went into a coma for like a week.
"They said he wouldn't be able to come out of it, but he's all right now ... but he has to learn how to read and write again and it's been pretty hard on his family and his friends.
"That's what got me motivated."
Motivation, coupled with speed, can be a dangerous thing.
The Northland loan player of Jewish and Maori descent has scored in each of North Otago's four matches this season and already has seven tries to his name.
Against Wairarapa Bush in Oamaru on Saturday, with the game in the balance mid-way through the second half, he ran on to an inside pass in the midfield off set-piece ball.
Ordinarily, after running that line, most wingers would look to beat the covering fullback on the inside off their right foot.
Meltzer, though, sensing hesitation, put the hammer down to the outside and blew the cover away.
Those types of moves have adjusted the Hikurangi product's thinking about his favoured position.
"In club rugby up north I play centre or fullback, but being here I think wing has been my favourite because I've been involved in a lot of moves."
He would not be the first under-sized midfielder to move further out, and earlier comparisons in style to Walter Little have somewhat shifted to another player.
Ex-All Black Anthony Tuitavake, whom Meltzer replaced in a game for the Blues development side, was of a similar stature and also possessed enviable acceleration.
"I looked up to him when I started playing because he was really small and he played centre as well," Meltzer said.
But the biggest influence on his burgeoning rugby career was his grandfather and older brother.
"My grandfather has always been there for me for support. If I ever needed boots he'd buy me boots or give me advice.
"He always tells me how to play rugby and that but really he's not that good, but, you know, you've got to listen to the elders."
The pupil turns teacher during the working week as Meltzer joins his North Otago team-mates at schools throughout the district, and he smiles diplomatically when asked to appraise the local talent.
"There's some, there's some," he said.
"The island boys are always good, and the Maori boys.
"It's always good to teach kids new skills and see them do well."
The fluent Maori language speaker and kapa haka artist enjoys performing, and while he said he would love to play for Northland and one day be an All Black, he said his "ultimate goal" was to represent New Zealand Maori.
He was offered a cameo in Northland's last game against Counties Manakau, but chose to stay in North Otago for the extra game time despite the cold weather, and hopes to help the team defend the Meads Cup.
