The ability to wear red, white and blue and represent your country on the international stage rarely happens for athletes.

For Utica’s Gianna Schmidt, it was a dream that became a reality this summer.

“Oh, it lived up to higher than that," Schmidt said. "It was just such an honor and so amazing.”

She played basketball overseas for the U-19 USA team in the United World Games.

“I have honestly never felt so comfortable on a team as I did with them," Schmidt said. "We were always together. It was amazing to get to know them. And I really loved all of them. And we're hoping and hoping that at least most of them can come on the next tour with the same coach.”

The squad enjoyed fierce competition against some of the best in Europe.

“They were so accepting and loving," Schmidt said of the European teams. "And those games were very rough. Those girls are not afraid to push you. So it was it was a very nice experience, and I really hope to do it again.”

But Schmidt and her teammates made the most of their time, finishing in second place behind Austria and bringing home the silver medal. It solidified that basketball is in her future.

“You always question some things, but being on that trip, being with those girls and playing at a higher level than I'm used to, just kind of a lot of it just really did solidify the fact that I do want to go forward and I do want to play in college,” Schmidt said.

As important as basketball was on trip, she and her teammates soaked in the culture, learning firsthand of European traditions and customs.

“When you're there for the first couple of days, you don't realize you're actually there," Schmidt said. "You don't realize you're out of the states because it's just so amazing that you just can't comprehend where you are and how amazing it is. The scenery was amazing. The people were just, I don't even know how to explain it. Like, so many people have asked me, 'Oh, what's it like?' And I just, I can't explain it. You have to experience it for yourself to truly understand how amazing it is to be in that situation.”

It's a trip she’ll never forget.

“It just gave me a whole new sense of confidence," Schmidt said. "I already was confident, but to be able to represent in the fact that we got to silver, I mean, it just brings you to another level of confidence.”