For any athlete, competing against international competition is a high point. And it's still exciting for those who work with such athletes.

Thomas Jefferson High School alumnus Kevin Kotsko has his chance to do just that -- twice. The Slippery Rock University graduate, an athletic trainer who also has worked at Seton LaSalle High School, has been selected to travel to South America both for the Parapan American Games and the World Blind Track and Field Championships.

"It's a great opportunity to represent your county," Kotsko said.

"As an athlete, everyone's goal is to represent your country, and to be an athletic trainer you get to do that and help the whole team.

"It's the ultimate honor to represent your country at the international level."

The world blind championships started last Friday and will run through Aug. 8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Parapan American Games are in Rio, Brazil, the following week from Aug. 12-19.

Kotsko, 34, is an assistant athletic trainer at West Virginia University, working with the men's soccer, wrestling and men's and women's swimming and diving teams.

The Pleasant Hills native is in his eighth year working at WVU, where he also works as an instructor.

He went to graduate school at the University of Virginia and also spent time employed at Allegheny General Hospital. Kotsko, who said his family is full of Pitt fans, now lives in Morgantown.

Kotsko was selected for his duties after he attended a volunteer internship at the United States Olympic Committee training center in Colorado Springs, Colo, where he spent four weeks living in the dorms with the prospective Olympic athletes.

There he worked with the inline skating, men's volleyball and para-cycling teams.

That experience got him onto a pool list of trainers from which the U.S. Olympic Committee selects those it needs for international events.

"It's been a lot of hard work over the years," Kotsko said.

"To see it paying off is an honor. It's nice to be recognized."

Kotsko was the lone trainer to travel with the U.S. Blind Track and Field team and is responsible for the 12 athletes in Brazil.

He said he is excited about the opportunity to interact with top athletic training professionals from around the world. The assignment also could be the gateway for Kotsko to work at future Olympic games.

Though Kotsko has experience with para-Olympic athletes, but not blind athletes, he said that will not be an issue.

"The injuries are the same no matter who the athlete," he said.

"It will just be an inspiration watching these athletes compete."

Though work has given him the opportunity to travel internationally for work before -- he accompanied college athletic teams to Italy, Trinidad and Tobago, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands -- Kotsko has never been to South America. It's a new stamp for his passport.

And while WVU was one of the schools that allocated him to do that (Slippery Rock's baseball team was the other that traveled abroad), he said he is most thankful the school has given its blessing to him for this trip.

"They've been a great employer to give me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Kotsko said.

"I imagine if I turned it down, I probably would not have another opportunity to do this.

"They're allowing me to take the time to travel aboard.

"It should end up being good for WVU and also for the athletic training program as well, because its one of top programs in the country."