Rosie Whiting (17) was the leader of New Zealand's four-person team which won the St John Youth international competition staged in Christchurch last week as part of a week-long St John International Youth festival.
The squad was pitted against teams from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, England and Wales.
The national side won the first-aid section of the competition and team events, and gained enough points for a "convincing" win, Rosie said.
St John's northern region of the South Island hosted the festival.
"When the New Zealand squad's win was announced, the boys in that group performed a haka for us and that was probably the top highlight of the whole event for me," she said.
Rosie has been involved in St John since she was 10, attending Badgers (now called Penguins) with a group of friends.
"They've all left St John now, but I've stayed on and am still very much involved," she said.
She is returning to Dunstan High School to complete year 13, after earning her NCEA Level 2 last year, with a grade of excellence.
Next year she hopes to start studying health science and medicine at Otago University, with the aim of becoming a doctor.
"At least, that's the plan at the moment.
"I'd like to work in the trauma-emergency field."
Rosie was the only Otago person in the national squad and the teams had to cope with several staged emergencies.
"As the team leader, you have to be in control of the scene and talk the `patient' through what's happening and reassure them, and also communicate why the team members are doing what they're doing, for the benefit of the judges.
"At the same time, I'm also giving the team time prompts, because there's a limited time for each exercise, and giving them lots of encouragement along the way.
"Then when it's pairs and individual competition, I take a more hands-on role."
The team met twice for training before the competition, taking the opportunity to get to know one another better.
"You're supposed to know all the basic things already and be polishing those skills, so the training was more about working together as a team."
Rosie has attended four national St John competitions as part of a southern region team, and this year is her last as a youth member.
She paid tribute to the support of Alexandra divisional manager and Central Otago district manager Tania Milne, of Alexandra.
"She's been so supportive of me over the years, ever since I started.
"It was Tania who pushed me to to try out for the nationals in the first place."
Being involved in the organisation had built her confidence and given her leadership and public speaking skills, Rosie said.
She hoped to continue her interest and eventually become a manager or trainer of the southern St John squad.
"I've had some brilliant role-models along the way, in the trainers and managers I've had, and I'd like to do the same, and give something back."
