Alina rewrote the record books in bagging a haul of medals in swimming and athletics throughout the year.

The graduating Macksville High student’s hard work and dedication has now been rewarded with the presentation of the highest school sporting award - ‘a Blue’ - at the NSW Combined High Schools’ Blues Ceremony in Sydney.

Alina also received an ‘Honour Blue’ in athletics and swimming at the North Coast awards presentation in Grafton.

The NSW Combined High Schools’ Association offers the opportunity for sportsmen and women to develop their sporting careers in statewide knockout competitions and NSW CHS representative team and individual events. Each year they bestow some higher honours on athletes who have represented the association or who have performed with distinction in their chosen sport, with a number of Blues winners having gone onto Australian representation.

In 2014, just 70 of the 300,000-plus secondary school students in the public system received a Blue.

Of these select few, Alina was honoured by being awarded the Betty Bowen Memorial Award for 2014 Sportswoman of the Year, and at the North Coast awards, was one of two to be awarded the Col Fisher Award for 2014 Sportswoman of the Year.

Upon receiving the Col Fisher Award, Alina, in an emotional address, dedicated it to long time family friend and former Macksville High student Phillip Hughes, who 10 years earlier had been recognised with the same award.

Alina’s sporting achievements in 2014 stretched far beyond school competition.

She represented Australia at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, in August where she placed a credible 12th in the world.

Alina is currently the Australian, NSW and Queensland titleholder of the Under 18s 800m. In swimming, she is nationally ranked in the top 10 of her age group in the 800m, 400m and 200m freestyle, and 100m and 200m butterfly.

Alina said she was particularly pleased to have the support of  local sponsor Soulitude Health.