This paper presents a case study of the life experiences of one exemplar adult second language Maori learner--Te Rita Papesch. Te Rita was one of 17 participants who were interviewed as a part of the first author's PhD study which sought to answer the question: what factors lead to the development of proficiency in te reo Maori amongst adult learners. We have chosen to focus on Te Rita's case because it illustrates four themes common across the cohort of 17. First, Te Rita was primarily motivated to learn te reo as a means to better understand her own identity as a Maori. Second, she was open to change. Third, she demonstrated a commitment to building strong relationships with her mentors and fellow speakers. Fourth, Te Rita was able to transfer skills from other parts of her life into the language-learning context.