Brimming with confidence, Rashan Climo (9) was on top of the world over the weekend, and on top of Coronet Peak.
The Oamaru schoolgirl was one of 13 children brought to Queenstown for a weekend of fun and action by Cure Kids.
Running everywhere, she seems a normal, active girl.
But when she was a year old, her body started shutting down and her brain began swelling - she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Now, everything she eats is monitored - Saturday's lunch on the skifield deck was followed by a quick calculation of how much insulin her body would require to break down the sugar content.
Her mother, Nadia, said the weekend was a welcome break from everyday life.
"There are four others here with diabetes - it is great to be able to share experiences," she said.
New experiences were everywhere - Ms Climo was one of three parents brave enough to jump off the Kawarau bridge at A.J. Hackett Bungy, earning the admiration of her daughter.
"My mum jumped off the bridge . . . hardly anyone else did," she told the Otago Daily Times.
And Rashan tried out her throwing arm - Shortland St actors Craig Parker and Renato Bartolomei were irresistible snowball targets for all the children.
"It is great to see them all having fun and being normal little monsters," Bartolomei said.
