A freak rugby accident left former Hurricanes Poua player Teilah Ferguson blind in one eye, ending her career in the sport and forcing her to give up the thing she loved the most.
But more than a year later, she had refused to let the injury slow her down and continued to embraces new challenges in the rugby world.
The 26-year-old's life changed during the final two minutes of a club rugby match at Elwood Park in Hastings last year, when she attempted a tackle and a boot flicked up, hitting her straight in the eye.
"I just remember looking up, and I could see her running off and then it just went, like, red and then black," she told Seven Sharp.
Ferguson was taken to hospital and underwent four hours of surgery on her eye.
The following morning, she was informed there was "zero chance" of her eyesight ever returning to her left eye.
I just remember everything in that moment slowing down, like my head was pounding," she recalled.
"And I was like, 'Holy, like, okay, we're starting a new life today.'"
The injury brought an abrupt end to a rugby career which included four years with the Hurricanes Poua and seven seasons playing at Farah Palmer Cup level.
She had been hopeful to one day join the Black Ferns, but quickly realised playing professionally with sight in only one eye was no longer possible.
"I was already noticing I was bumping into things, my depth perception, just being able to catch a ball was hard," she said.
"There was no question I had just said, 'Yeah, it's time to retire. I can't carry on playing rugby.'"
'Everything but slow me down'
While a future in rugby was suddenly off the cards, Ferguson said she was not determined to let much else follow it.
"Having one eye has done everything but slow me down," she said. "It's been a very eye-opening experience, and challenging me to try new things."
Two weeks after losing her sight, Ferguson bought a cello and began teaching herself to play.
She and her mother Julie had also taken up salsa dancing, and Ferguson had competed in CrossFit events and signed up for the half-IronMāori triathlon.
Ferguson also remained deeply involved in the sport which caused her injury. She became the high performance manager for women's rugby in Hawke's Bay, spending her time helping develop the next generation of female players.
"Since the injury, my passion for girls and women's rugby has just somehow exponentially increased," she said.
"Despite having an injury from the sport, it doesn't take away my love for it. So now I've diverted a lot of my own rugby passion into the girls here in Hawke's Bay."
Rugby had long been a family affair. Ferguson's mother Julie represented New Zealand in rugby, rugby league and touch, and the pair previously played alongside each other for the Hawke's Bay Tui.
Julie said watching her daughter rebuild her life had left her "immensely proud".
"It's all you want for your children, is to see them thriving in life," she said.
Ferguson admitted there was still a part of her that longed to be back on the field, but she had no plans to stop finding her next challenge.
"I'm just obsessed with the growth of challenges, and this being one of them. If you can overcome that, you can literally do anything."
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