Philippa Greig spent every day after going full-throttle, to make up for it.
Yesterday, hundreds gathered at Moonlight Stables, near Arrowtown, to remember the world-class ski racer, engineer, business woman, artist, designer, milliner, avid traveller — and everyone’s ‘‘adventure buddy’’ — who died of dengue fever in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on August 17.
During the two-hour service, tributes came from her parents, Rob and Ros, siblings Andy and Mitchey, and several lifelong friends.
They detailed adventures — and misadventures — they had shared, and lessons they had learnt from the woman who, despite distance, time and cost, ‘‘showed up’’ for everyone.
She was also mischievous, intelligent, creative and competitive.
Jacqui Gilbert said Ms Greig once made 237 snowmen, took photos of all of them and then ‘‘crashed the Vodafone website’’ to secure free flights to Europe when she decided to go to the World University Games, but could not afford to get there.
Mr Greig said, as parents, they were used to getting phone calls from hospitals after one of their children hurt themselves.
The call from the Mexican hospital was routine until ‘‘the script changed’’.
When he asked if his daughter was ‘‘doing better now’’ he was told they had done everything they could.
‘‘We had a total sense of disbelief.
‘‘You read about these things happening, [but] it never involves you.’’
The family immediately travelled to Mexico to bring her home and visited the house she was looking after.
Ironically, her bed was covered with a mosquito net.
That month, 15 others there were diagnosed with dengue fever — Ms Greig was the first to die.
Mr Greig said many people wanted to help and the best way to do that was ‘‘spread the word about the dangers of mosquito viruses.
‘‘They are real.
‘‘They can kill.
‘‘Pip ... we love you and even though you are away on another adventure, you will always be in our hearts.’’
