Ms Kempson, 21, will travel to Kazan to be part of the all-expenses-paid International University Sports Federation (FISU) Volunteer Leaders Academy.

She was selected by Australian University Sport, which has 43 tertiary members, including the country’s most prestigious universities.

“And the Charles Sturt University representative got it, so it’s really exciting,” she said.

“I’m proud to see a regional and rural university represented.”

Ms Kempson, who is in her final year studying a Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education), is CSU Bathurst’s Sports Council president, a previous president of the CSU Bathurst Football Club and current team captain of CSU Sport at representative events.

Ms Kempson completed the Kokoda Track last September and was recently part of the selection panel to choose the next students to take part. 

“I’m very lucky,” she said, adding it was a nice reward for the time she devoted to university sport. 

“If you’re patient, the rewards do come.”

The FISU Academy, which is open to university students aged 18 to 27, aims to help young leaders implement their own projects when they return home.

Ms Kempson said the experience would prove useful when she starts work as a PE teacher in rural areas. 

“I think people living in rural regions deserve a quality education, so if I can upskill myself and take that to the regions, they’re getting the skills they deserve,” she said. 

She said she was also excited to develop her professional network while gaining a cultural experience and thanked the university’s Scott Hatch, Kate Staniforth and Nik Granger in helping her gain the opportunity. 

Ms Kempson will leave for Russia in June for the two-week trip.