Adversity is something Black Ferns Sevens prop Ruby Tui knows all about.
Named World Rugby Sevens player of the year this week and at the top of her game, Tui won't allow herself to think she has a secure spot in the team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"No matterhow long you've been here you have to trial to make every school tournament," she says.
She knows it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. After all she was deprived a Commonwealth Games gold final against Australia in 2018 because she caught the mumps.
She advocates for mental health, for being the best you can be, dreaming big, and making her family proud.
In an age where it is cool to be kind and you can be anyone online, the doubters exist, and she ignores them.
But for the record, Tui is exactly who she says she is.
With all she has achieved to date as one of the biggest names in the women's game, as well as having started a Sky Sport commentary role off the field, Tui's goals are simple.
"All I want to do is just make my family proud and discover a bit of happiness."
As a young girl Tui shifted from Wellington to Nelson, back to Wellington and finally to the West Coast in the South Island where her mother was based.
She had been to seven schools before her final stop at St Paul's where she thrived on the sports field and drove the teachers nuts with all her ideas, she says.
Blacks Ferns sevens star Ruby Tui with her World Rugby award. Photo / Getty Images
At home, however, there were struggles and an amount of adversity many teenagers grow up without.
Her parents, Marion Mouat and Vaki Tui, had gone through a tough separation and she often was looking out for them.
She grew up fast because of it.
It was a challenging period of her life and it taught her exactly what rabbit holes not to go down.
"I just try to be a good person, like it's not easy and you are expected in life to just know what to do and sort it out and be a good person. But life is life and it's not easy and even to pursue your dreams is a brave thing to do," she says.
"I have met people who haven't done that and the biggest thing elderly talk about is regret and that's pretty hard to deal with. So, I am just trying to live my best life and be the best I can be and hopefully people can see that brings happiness.
"Life is full of short-term pleasure, but I reckon if we can all be happy with what we have got the whole world can be a better place."
This positive energy is not a front.
Within five minutes of talking to Tui the world really can feel like a better place.
"You can't guarantee the sun is going to shine, it might rain. You have to choose to take the optimistic perspective about it and it does help you a lot in sport, but that's life too you know."
Her attitude on the field is the same as off it. When things are going wrong for her team the players often look to her as a senior for that extra drive.
She is a calming influence for the players around her nowadays.
"I used to have the headphones in, but now I dance, I'm loud, I sing and just make sure the team has a good vibe, and I support all the other leaders. I am pretty relaxed now to be honest. I don't freak out like I used to."
So, it is about time World Rugby relished a player like Tui, because as she admits, there are not all that many years left for her in the fast-paced sevens game.
She is by no means past it, but she won't confirm if she will stick around after Tokyo.
Tui isn't ruling out a crack at the Black Ferns 15s side though. The appeal of playing in front of a home crowd at the 2021 Rugby World Cup could be too good not to at least try.
With a media and communications degree behind her she has thought about life after rugby, perhaps a little too much she says.
"There's so many ideas that come and go. Everyone says you need a plan after rugby, I've got about five.
"I am going to stay focused on rugby. I didn't make a decision after Rio [de Janeiro Olympics] until I had that medal around my neck, so I am going to do the same thing.
"Focus on the footy and we'll see, I am sure it will be pretty exciting."
Ruby Tui during the Japan leg of this year's Sevens World Series. Photo / Photosport
Tui and the Black Ferns compete at the Dubai Sevens next month, followed by the Cape Town Sevens, where the women will play for the first time at what was formerly just the men's tournament.
And she won't need to seek out inspiring South African captain Siya Kolisi while in the Mother City, she already has.
While in Japan for the Rugby World Cup, Tui and several of her teammates bumped into Kolisi "on purpose" and she was blown away by his humility, she says.
"He was so polite, he stopped all his celebrity responsibilities just to say to hello to us. He is an amazing hero, true hero on and off the field too and those are the real players."
