Earlier this month Begg was offered an Emerging Squad Scholarship with the institute, an upgrade from the associate scholarship she was on last year.

The new scholarship is a result of some fantastic results over the summer, culminating in a gold medal in the IGA Australian Youth Athletics Championships in Canberra late last month.

Begg took out the under-18 high jump event at the AIS, defending the title she won last year despite her tender age of 15.

As well as being the national champion, Begg is the State champion in the under-18 and under-20 ranks.

The Bowral High student won the under-18 title at the NSW Youth Championships in March and collected gold in the NSW Open and Under-20 Championships in February, competing against competitors five years her senior.

Then at the Australian under-20 Athletics Championships, also held at the Sydney International Athletics Centre at Homebush, she finished an impressive third.

In January, Begg stepped up to an even higher level competing in the women's high jump at the Telstra A Series event at Canberra.

The Telstra Series is Australian athletics' premier competition and Begg certainly didn't disgrace herself, coming equal third with a jump of 1.78m.

That jump is only one centimetre off her personal best, but it was the best she jumped this summer.

Begg also competed with distinction at the NSW Country Championships in Wollongong, winning both the 16-17 year old and 18-19 year old high jump categories, as well as performing well in the long jump, finishing second and fourth in the 200m.

Further evidence of her natural athletic ability came at the Bowral High School Swimming Carnival, where she finished as runner-up age champion in the 16-year girls age group, behind another rising superstar in Orlanda Sexton.

Begg swims up to four times a week as part of her training schedule, as well as travelling to Campbelltown for sprint training and to Bankstown once a week to work with coach Ian Garrett.