In excruciating pain, it was the moment Rua Hagan knew her netball playing days were over.
"I thought I was invincible, but this time I came to the realisation that there was no way I'd ever play again."
For Hagan - a legend in netball circles in and around Dunedin for over 40 years - the moment of truth came when, three years after first experiencing back troubles, two of her discs "popped out" as she tried to lift a microwave oven, causing her searing and near unbearable pain.
Two major spinal operations followed and today, two years on, she needs crutches to get around - while sitting any longer than 10 minutes still causes pain.
Yet this has not stopped her. A stalwart of the Eastern Netball Club in Dunedin, Hagan has become even more of an inspiration to players and supporters both on and off the court.
While she may not be playing the game she loves any longer the 52-year-old grandmother has channeled this passion into being the best coach she can.
She passes on her knowledge and experience to the next generation not just for one team but three (two from the Eastern club and one at East Otago High School) – and is not shy of racing up and down the sideline on her crutches to egg her charges on.
Over the years Hagan has coached hundreds of players, earning the respect and affection of them all.
"I do it because I just love it," she says. "I love seeing the girls enjoying the game and knowing they can be who they want to be, I'm proud of them all."
Hagan's efforts have resulted in her being named as the recipient of this week's ASB Good as Gold award. The ASB has gifted her a trip for two to the Fast Five Netball World Series to be held in Melbourne in October and $4,000 spending money.
ASB's GM of corporate communications, Christian May, says Hagan is a deserving ASB Good as Gold recipient: "Her genuine dedication to helping future generations of netballers is inspiring and will, we have no doubt, have long lasting and positive impacts on their lives.
"At ASB we believe life is all about relationships, working together to help each other, achieving a goal or giving the encouragement needed to take that next step confidently," he says.
Sharron Greene, who helps with fund-raising for the East Otago High School team, nominated Hagan for the award: "It is more than a game for her," she says. "Rua wants all these young women to build confidence and self-esteem and her greatest joy is when someone achieves. For some of the girls I am sure she is family."
Hagan's love affair with netball began as a 10-year-old. Brought up with two brothers and a sister on a sheep and beef farm at Karitane (a coastal settlement about 35km north of Dunedin) she began playing after being encouraged by her mother.
"I was always a centre/wing attack and played up until a couple of years ago," she says. "I played in A-teams at school and got some rep trials, but I never made it at the top level.
"I was attracted I think by the fun of the game, the passing and running. I remember we were all short in my team and we used to pass and shoot under the legs of our opponents."
Hagan got her start in coaching about 30 years ago when a friend asked her to help out with a team at the nearby Waikouaiti Primary School: "I went along but my friend left and never came back," she says. "I didn't mind because I found I enjoyed it and have been coaching ever since."
As well as the club teams and the school side she coaches, Hagan also guides the last team she played for. Known as the 'Dangerous Goods', the team is made up of players ranging in age from 48 to 72 and they get together to compete in the South Island Masters games and the Timaru Masters.
Ironically, the fun she has with this team is what first caused her back problems. Five years ago Hagan was dancing the twist as the girls celebrated a win when her discs slipped for the first time.
While her pain forces her to bed for a rest in the afternoons, her schedule is still full-on. She is involved in netball up to four days a week and also helps her husband Murray run their agricultural spraying business.
"I get very engrossed in netball and (on game days) I sometimes forget I'm on crutches," she says. "I like winning, but I also love it when, win or lose, my girls play a good game. It makes my day."
Hagan also plans to use some of her prize money to give back to the sport by donating cups to the Eastern Club for the year's Most Outstanding Player and the East Otago High School for an 'Excellence of Excellence' award recognising the person who has most gone the extra mile in their service to the game.