Theirs was one of those 'meant to be' love stories: the ballroom dancer and the outgoing sports fanatic and professional mountain biker.
Sam Hitchcock and Kelly McGarry's paths would cross on and off four years until a chance encounter in Switzerland was followed by a wild idea.
Ms Hitchcock visited Mr McGarry in the US and they took a five-week-long road trip. Soon after, they decided they would stay together and Ms Hitchcock was propelled into a whole new world.
Ms Hitchcock moved to Queenstown, took up mountain biking and they began building their life together.
"Our next five years were all planned out. We were going to build our house and start a family this year," says Ms Hitchcock.
But in February, on an ordinary Monday, everything changed.
It turned out Mr McGarry had a rare heart condition and suffered a cardiac arrhythmia when he was riding uphill.
"My world just collapsed after that."
Ms Hitchcock says the following months were unbearable. She took off in July on a five-week trip around the US and eventually had a revelation.
"You realise you do actually have a choice," she says.
"Am I going to stop living? Stay in bed all day and get depressed and let that happen to myself? Or am I going to do the opposite, am I going to live even more?"
Story spoke to Ms Hitchcock about loss, grief and redemption.
Watch the video for the full Story report.
