The event, the first of its kind, featured 38 of the best female hot air balloon pilots from around the world.

Nicola Scaife, 30, was born and raised in Albury and attended Murray High School, but has since travelled the world with her husband, Matthew, and son, Hugo, one balloon at a time.

She graduated with a science degree from Sydney University last year but found her passion in ballooning nine years ago when she lived in Canberra.

Nicola’s narrow 78-point win in Leszno last week came after she underwent 16 challenges, testing speed, accuracy and manoeuvrability.

She achieved perfect scores in three of the challenges and finished with a total of 12,489 out of a possible 16,000 points.

Nicola, who still returns to the Border a few times a year to visit family and friends, has been a hot air balloon pilot for five years and her father John Cronin said he could not be happier for her.

“It’s brilliant and we are very excited for her,” Mr Cronin said.

When she is not competing, Nicola and her husband own and run their business Balloon Aloft in the Hunter Valley.

Mr Cronin’s wife, Karen, said the ability to juggle family, work and ballooning was a testament to Nicola’s character.

“She’s a little dynamo and nothing really stops her,” Mrs Cronin said.

“They certainly aren’t going to be your average family.”