A 16-YEAR-OLD having a leg amputated could be forgiven for choosing an easy path through life. Margaret Wilson, on the other hand, has always been up for a fight.
"It was a high amputation," she says, "specifically to try to halt the spread of a potentially fatal cancer - and it worked. These days chemotherapy would be used first, but there were no options for me, except death."
One of the things she rues most - apart from the pain which is increasing with age - is not being able to wear stylish shoes. "Let's say I cope, but if I find something that works I buy two pairs. I used to have two artificial legs, one for high heels and one for low, but they took the high heels off me."
Before the amputation Margaret planned to be a physical education teacher, but could no longer fulfil course requirements. "And there were no Paralympics for me to continue being involved with sport. I woke up one morning and decided to study law - without knowing anything about law. My parents, who lived in Morrinsville, didn't think it was a respectable career."
Although New Zealand may have lost a first-class PE teacher, it gained, among other things, an Attorney-General, Minister of Labour, Minister in Charge of Treaty Negotiations and Speaker of the House. She was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit after retiring from Parliament in 2008, refusing to "regress to a Dame" the next year when Prime Minister John Key reintroduced titles.