KEY POINTS:
She's been confined to a wheelchair after breaking both of her legs in a skiing accident, contracted meningitis and spent three weeks in hospital for training too hard.
But these are minor speed bumps for a New Zealand skier determined to prove her mettle against the world's top slalom exponents at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in France.
Sarah Jarvis, this country's sole female representative at the championships, will take to the piste in the slalom on February 14 at Val D'Isere.
The 22-year-old from Hamilton, who follows in the tracks of Annelise Coberger and her childhood idol, Claudia Riegler, said she was mindful of the Austrian and Swiss racers as the ones to beat.
"They're pretty good but so are the Americans ... Well, everybody is actually," she said from her Les Vosges base in France. "But I'm feeling confident and pretty good."
It's been an uphill battle for Jarvis, whose efforts overseas are largely self-funded after the New Zealand ski team's principal sponsor, Volkswagen, ended its financial commitment to the sport last year.
A spokeswoman for the company said the decision to pull its investment in local skiing was "unfortunate" but blamed toughening economic times.
While Jarvis, who is ranked 320 in the world, receives small annual grants from the Ruapehu Ski Club and the Tainui tribe - her links are to Ngati Maniapoto - it's her parents who foot the biggest bill of about $30,000 each year.
But despite a cash shortfall of $40,000 and having none of the staff - physiotherapists, sports psychologists, doctors, nutritionists - taken for granted by most European teams, Jarvis remains determined and focused.
"It is a tough path I have chosen so those obstacles are going to be there," she said. "I think it's easier if you come from Europe ... Teams over here have twice the number of support staff for all of their skiers whereas for us in New Zealand and Australia it's such a small sport and all the money seems to go to rugby. But I see myself overcoming these obstacles."
Ski Racing New Zealand general manager Simon Mills said the national body tried to provide as much funding as it could for its athletes but admitted this was "very limited".
The New Zealand team of four, which includes Tim Cafe, who came a creditable 36th in the Super-G raced on Wednesday night, Angus Howden and Leighton Winsloe, have a tiny support crew with 20-year-old Ben Griffin as team manager.
"Most of the skiers are supported financially by friends and family," said Mr Mills. "It does require spending a considerable amount of time away from home in some beautiful parts of the world and it's never cheap."
Mr Mills said Ski Racing New Zealand was still looking for a sponsor. "Obviously we would benefit enormously by having the resources to provide better support for our athletes. Having the resources to support our athletes would be a great step forward," he said.
"We would probably start with servicemen and physiotherapists. Getting skis prepared and serviced by a good technician is worth its weight in gold."
