"I only got into it this year really. I haven't really been into cross country or running seriously until I started training with [coach] Kerry Hill at the start of this year," she said. "It has surprised me how well I have done. I didn't expect any of it really. I just took up the training as part of rugby, just to try [to] get fitter and faster for that, and it kind of all happened."
Paine surprised herself at how much she loved running up and down muddy hills, jumping over fences and the challenges that came with cross-country racing.
"It is different [from] a team sport. It is just you. You are not relying on anyone else but it is a huge mental game. So much of it is in your head, being able to push yourself. It is also more exciting than going round and round the track."
Paine's Ethiopian connection came about through the missionary work of her parents. She lived in Ethiopia for seven years and says it was a huge part of her life.
Coach Hill says she is naturally fit from playing rugby but must have a massive amount of natural ability, as she has done so little distance running.
"She's tough and competitive, and when you put that together with her fitness work, she has done remarkably well," he said.
"She is starting to beat people who have been training hard in distance running for years, have represented New Zealand and who American universities are interested in.
"This is her first opportunity to get into an international match and it is highly exciting.
"She is so fast and has such good endurance that she definitely has the potential to be an international distance runner."
