Supporting research at Portobello Marine Lab sparked an interest in how to use kiwi ingenuity to produce good science. Life support systems for marine animals require engineering and maths, as well as understanding an organisms’ biology. A ‘can do’ attitude took me to Antarctica’s US base to research freezing avoidance of Antarctic fish. After my career in science, I surprised myself by taking a new direction, teaching mathematics at the tertiary level. Building self confidence in people through maths and horses is what I love to do now.