"For me it's all about the people- rural communities, rural people, and our rural teams. Rural is the heart of this country; it is the connection with the whenua and with the wairua of Aotearoa. No day is ever the same; every person brings a new story. The variety is extreme at times and this is what keeps us engaged and on our toes. When we live and work in our communities, we know that what we do makes a difference on a daily basis. As a rural GP I am trusted with people's lives; I do not take this lightly- it is a huge privilege to be let into this deep connection with my patients and to journey with them sometimes in their darkest times and sometimes in the happiest ones too. The laughter that I share with my patients and with the healthcare team is what keeps me going, that and the fact I get to work in a beautiful place and do something that I have been trained for many years, not just by medical school but by my thousands of interactions with people over the years. There is nothing within medicine that I would rather do."