INSPIRING young leader and cancer survivor Kate Smith could hardly believe she won a national Pride of Australia medal last night.

"I am very, very surprised, I am not sure how I managed to do something that inspired the judges more than the other people that were nominated," she said.

Pictures: Cairns' Pride of Australia medal finalists

The Cairns woman, 23, with a lifelong passion for learning, giving and immersing herself in other cultures, has beaten hundreds of nominees to win the Young Leader in the 2009 National Pride of Australia Medal.

She was crowned Australia’s top young talent at a gala ceremony at The Westin Sydney which honoured "everyday people who have done extraordinary things".

The medal, honouring a person under 25 who has advanced a community through academic or personal endeavours, is reward for a woman not always blessed with a blue ribbon.

Born with cancer, Ms Smith underwent surgery to remove a malignant neuroblastoma tumour at five days old and has not wasted a moment of her life since.

Racking up some of the best year 12 grades in Australia at Trinity Anglican School, Ms Smith snared a scholarship to Melbourne University, where she is studying for a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Modern Languages.

Fluent in four languages and now studying a fifth, she threw herself into humanitarian causes at a young age and regularly gives up weekends and holidays for charity missions.

News Ltd chairman John Hartigan said the awards recognised those in the community who had overcome adversity and powered through their plight.

"Through our metropolitan, regional and community newspapers our readers have pointed the way in telling us the stories of people in their communities and neighbourhoods who have shown outstanding bravery, contributed selflessly and asked for nothing in return," Mr Hartigan said.

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