ATHLETICS: Napier schoolgirl set to soar at world champs | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

When Napier Girl's High School pupil Emma Sutherland started high jumping in 2006 she never dreamed that within three years she would be representing New Zealand in the sport.

Emma is among 20 athletes from around the country to travel to Italy in July for the IAAF World Youth Championships.

``When I started jumping in my first year at Napier Girls' High School I was useless. It took me about a year to work out how I could be really good at it.''

Within two years Emma had won the junior title at the East Coast Championships and was third in the junior North Island Championship.

Since then she has steadily increased her jumps and made a big impression on selectors. She was recently selected as a member of the New Zealand Academy of Sport and in late 2008 represented New Zealand in the Pan Pacific Games in Canberra.

``Finding out about Canberra was cool, but Italy is like wow, as in Australia there was a team of 100 and in Italy there are only 20 of us,'' she said before jetting off on Sunday for a few meetings in Brisbane en route to Italy.

Competing in any sport at this level comes at a cost. She has had to take a break from playing representative volleyball and hockey to concentrate on this event. Financially it mounts up, with the ongoing costs of spikes, uniforms and other gear. The trip to Italy alone costs around $8000.

Emma's goal for the World Youth Championships is to reach the final. She says she would be the first New Zealand girl to do that. She has a big task ahead of her - the winning jumps are around 1.88m, while Emma's personal best is 1.74m - but she knows she can go much higher.

Emma has been training around five times a week with the goal of achieving those higher jumps. She says she loves competing, enjoys having people around, and does her best jumps in competition. ``I do get nervous, but somehow the nerves don't get in the way''.

Her long-term goal is to be selected for the Commonwealth Games - although maybe not next year.

``The Olympics would be nice, but that is a pretty big goal.''