She was in two WHS-winning four oar and eight oar crews at national Maadi Cup secondary schools' regattas and won intermediate double sculls and eight-oar titles in Wanganui Rowing Club crews at the 1983 NZ championships on Lake Horowhenua.
Payne moved to the Waikato, joined the powerful Hamilton club, which included fellow Wanganui Hall of Fame member Philippa Baker, with the club dominating NZ women's rowing for many years.
Payne's 14 New Zealand premier titles comprised the coxless pairs between 1986 and 1990, the double sculls in 1988-98, fours in 1989-90, quadruple sculls in 1988-90 and the eights in 1986-89-90.
After missing original selection for the 1988 Olympics, Payne and Hannen headed off to Europe under the guidance of astute coach Mahon, who was to prepare New Zealand, Swiss and South African national crews.
It was at an international qualifying regatta in Lucerne that the Kiwi pair clinched Seoul Olympic selection by finishing second to East Germany.
There was little time before the Olympics but Nikki and Lynley, who were working in Switzerland as gardeners to save for a holiday in the Greek islands, stepped up their training.
During their stay in Europe they raced at numerous European regattas, winning seven Swiss national titles.
Come the Olympics and the Kiwi pair finished second in their heat and went on to win the repechage and qualify for the final.
They could not contain the strong Romanian and Bulgarian crews but turned a 14 second defeat at the hands of East Germany at Lucerne into a five second victory in the battle for the bronze medal.
The effort by the lightest, youngest and most inexperienced crew in the final came as a complete surprise and halted an eastern European medal trifecta.
All the training effort and hard work by the girls and the skill of coach Mahon paid off, with the Olympic bronze medal row from a crew who had not originally been selected for Seoul.
An Auckland doctor, Payne now rows for the Auckland club and recently won eight women's and mixed crew titles at the NZ Masters' rowing championships at Lake Karapiro.
She is busy training, as is her successful Olympic partner Lynley Coventry (nee Hannen) in Nelson, to compete at the 2017 World Masters' Games at Karapiro.
Payne becomes the sixth rower in the 23-strong Wanganui Hall of Fame, joining Philippa Baker-Hogan, Trevor Coker and Billy Webb (all inducted in 2008), Richard Tonks (2012) and Clarrie Healey (2015).
There are four rugby players in the Hall - Bill Osborne (2008), Moke Belliss (2009), Charlie Seeling (2012) and Glen Osborne (2013), and three from athletics - Arthur Holder and Arthur Porritt (both 2008) and Bev Shingles (2014).
And there are three from hockey - Pat Barwick (2010), Alan McIntyre and Les Wilson (both 2008).
Lawn bowlers Peter Belliss (2008) and Sean Johnson (2013), cycling's Gary Anderson and Ron Cheatley (both 2008), basketballer Megan Compain (2015), cricket's Harry Cave (2009) and golfer Bryan Silk (2011) are also individual inductees.
In addition there are two family groups - motor cyclists Bob, Percy and Rod Coleman (2009) and the McIntyre family of Annie (golf), Barney (hockey and rugby), Joan (softball), Gordon (hockey), Mary (golf and softball) and Roy (hockey), who were inducted in 2012.
The judging panel this year comprised Sue Westwood (chairperson, ex-Whanganui District Council, NZ Masters Games and golfer), Ken Mair (Whanganui Iwi), Ron Palenski (Dunedin-based NZ Hall of Fame Director), JB Phillips (Whanganui media), Keith Smith (secretary, Whanganui District Council sport and recreation advisor) and Mark Stoneman (multi-sports organiser).