Ten-year-old Shericka Mahoney only received her prosthetic running blade in June, but last week she took home a gold medal and set records for long jump and the 100-metre sprint at a national athletics event.

Shericka lives in Alpurrurulam, a remote Indigenous town near the Queensland-Northern Territory border.

She was selected with eight other athletes to represent the Barkly region at the Darwin School Sport Australian Athletics Championships, her first competition running with her new blade.

"I wasn't nervous running," Shericka said.

However, it was a different story for the Barkly region sports coordinator Pam Dillon who began working with the school in 2013, encouraging the students to take part in sport.

"After a bit of convincing and talking to, she competed in the 100-metre medley relay and just flew," Ms Dillon said.

With a population of just under 450, Ms Dillon said sporting events for the kids in town could be challenging, especially because the schools did not have buses.

So, whenever Alpurrurulam represents their school, they can only bring up to eight competitors.

The road in and out of Alpurrurulam is where Shericka tried out her new blade. ( Supplied: Ben Olschewsky )

Long dirt road to victory

Shericka, who lost her leg due to medical complications when she was six months old, has been taking part in school sports for the last couple of years.

However, because entry to the Barkly Region inter-school sport competition only starts at age 10, this was her very first opportunity to compete away from school.

The rapidly growing young athlete is fitted with a new prosthetic leg each year and even has her own supporter prosthetic thanks to her favourite AFL team, the Brisbane Lions.

Shericka shows off her Brisbane Lions prosthetic with player Charlie Cameron. ( Supplied: Brisbane Lions )

Because Shericka showed much promise, when she was due to come back to Brisbane for her next fitting, Ms Dillon encouraged her family to petition the NDIS for a blade prosthetic.

And when it arrived and Shericka put it on, the first thing she did was try it out down the main dirt road out of Alpurrurulam.

Shericka's love for sport has grown to include record-breaking athletics events. ( Supplied: Pam Dillon )

Ms Dillon said for the kids at Alpurrurulam, Shericka's new blade — or any of the other children's disabilities — made no difference to them.

"There was a classic example at the Australian titles where Shericka had her running leg and I was holding on to her normal leg," Ms Dillon said.

"When she finished her relay, one of her teammates asked if they could take it over to her.

"He took it, he gave her a high-five, and gave her the walking leg."

Shericka's win is not only a bit achievement for her and her team, but for other Barkly kids.

"We have a kid from Mungkarta [in the Northern Territory] who's blind, and we've got a couple of kids in wheelchairs from Tennant Creek," Ms Dillon said.

"They can see that you can go from a little remote school, way out, so far away — and go to national level."

Shericka's next steps mean more training down that dirt road as she sets her eye on competing in future events.