Living in Auckland and in with the wrong crowd, her life was rapidly spiralling downhill. Her mother was barely around — she was in and out of hospital with Toria’s sister — and the teen was filled with "hatred and pain".
A pivotal moment came when then Child, Youth and Family (CYF) gave an ultimatum that either another guardian be found — her father was given 12 hours to uplift her — or she would be put in CYF care.
So her father took her to Southland and, while in hindsight she was so grateful to him for doing that, she did not give him an easy ride. Angry and resentful, she was stealing and doing drugs — "just doing anything I could to just get myself back to Auckland".
It was at Aurora College in Invercargill that teachers started planting motivation in her head. While still hanging out with the wrong crowd, she slowly started adjusting.
With her father — who would make her school lunches — and family, she was surrounded by love and stability. She was named deputy head girl in 2013.
While things had improved in her life, Mrs Cummings (27) said it was her entry into the dairy industry in 2014 that was to provide major change, along with meeting her husband Barney.
Mr Cummings was a Winton-based shearer and she fell in love with both him and the rural lifestyle. She had been working in a rest-home in Winton but was made redundant after six months when the business collapsed.
After a week on the benefit, she messaged a farmer and said she really wanted to get into dairy farming, despite having never set foot on a dairy farm.
Eight years on and Mrs Cummings was a finalist in the farm manager of the year award in this year’s Otago-Southland Dairy Industry Awards.
While unsuccessful in the top placings, she received the emerging talent award.
Mrs Cummings works on a Winton farm, that milks 680 cows at peak, and she and her husband have plans to go contract milking.
She was grateful for the opportunities provided by farm owners who "put that seed of motivation" in her — "when someone gives you a shot, really".
The couple’s son Leo was born in 2018 and her goal was to show him how hard work could lead to success.
"Our goal is to show our son that reputation, hard work and determination can create a life that he deserves or any child deserves," she said.
Mrs Cummings is on-farm by 4.30am and, after milking, returns home for breakfast and drops her son at kindergarten. A home based-carer picks him up after school.
Always keen to speak to young people and school children, to make them realise there is more to dairy farming than just milking cows, she is involved with organising the South Island Dairy Event’s (SIDE) BrightSIDE initiative.
That is all about inspiring, encouraging and uplifting those starting out in dairying, and is being held as part of SIDE in Invercargill on June 28-29.
She also works with regional development agency Great South to speak to young mothers, and the Southern Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP) Drive My Life driver mentoring programme, and grasps any opportunities, including taking part in Surfing for Farmers.
As if that was not enough, Mr and Mrs Cummings also have a bouncy castle business and a upcoming clothing line to be launched.
But her son and family remained her first priority and Leo was "very well loved", she said.
It had taken her a long time to speak about her younger years. "I don’t have a lot of memories from when I was younger. If I do, not a lot of good memories. I’m very triggered," she said.
Now drug and alcohol free — "dairy farming doesn’t allow that and I don’t want to" — her values and vision aligned with those of her husband in so many ways, she said.
Along with her father, who literally saved her life and showed her love, and her husband, she had other "amazing" mentors who had helped her.
"I’m blessed. I’ve been blessed for the path I’ve been given. [They have been] hard learnings but I wouldn’t be who I am and the determination wouldn’t be there [without them]," she said.
She and her husband bought their first home when they were 22 and sold it last year, which was a big accomplishment, she said.
She loved the small Winton community and she still enjoyed her early starts "knowing I’ve done more than the high percentage of New Zealanders because they are still sleeping".
