Invercargill woman Mya Kairau is mixing brains with brawn as she charts a path to the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Miss Kairau, 19, has just returned from an international global youth congress in Vancouver, Canada.
She won an award at the congress for the best young speaker among the 100 delegates.
Late last year, she was also tripping overseas — this time to Germany to make her debut at an international bodybuilding event, where she ended up in the top 10 of her grade.
Her latest success in Canada was a total surprise.
"There was a whole lot of different people there, from all across the world. But I just wanted to focus on indigenous rights", she said.
"I loved it (the congress). Lots of great talk. A lot of young people want to work together. Want to get along and plan for the future. I spoke what it is to being indigenous from my perspective.
"I have always enjoyed giving speeches. I have been doing it at national level since I was 14."
The only New Zealander at the conference, Miss Kairau’s win means she will go to another United Nations conference somewhere around the world — she is eyeing up Dubai — all paid for because of the victory.
But those lofty dreams are on hold for now. It is back to tossing tin and getting back on the books.
She is heading back to the University of Otago — distance learning from Invercargill — as she continues the political science degree she started last year.
The former Verdon College pupil took the first semester off this year because of travel commitments and bodybuilding training.
She took up the sport about a year ago, following in her father’s footsteps, and said it had been going well.
Trips to the gym twice a day and a strict diet may not be everyone’s cup of tea but she was keen to head back to Europe later this year to compete.
