The 15-year-old Moruya High School student recently won a silver medal in the under 17s 3000-metre race at the Australian Championships in Sydney.

Hargraves, who trains with Andae Kalemusic and the Limitless Track Team, qualified for the finals of both the 3000 metres and 1500 metres, but decided to only run the 3000.

"I qualified for both, but the 1500 final was the day before the 3000," Hargraves said. "I prefer the 3000 metres because it's longer, and you need a bit more speed for the 1500 which I don't really have."

Hargraves said she was given a plan for the race, and worked on sticking to it.

"Coach gave me a few split times I had to get, and the plan was to go out and try to burn them off," she said. "I prefer running from the front, or just behind one other person.

"I've got a pretty long running stride, and running in the pack can be a bit push-and-shovey, so I don't usually get the rhythm I like.

"I knew what I had to do in the race, and I knew I was sticking to the plan."

Hargraves said she was "proud" of her achievement.

"Crossing the line was really good, because you know the race is finally over, but getting the medal was a nice reward for my efforts," she said. "I was proud, and really happy because I've been training for this for ages."

The silver medal is the culmination of two years of training with the Limitless Track Team.

"I've seen a big improvement under Andae," Hargraves said. "I used to only make it to the Catholic Schools State championships when I went to Carroll College.

"I came 41^st the year before I started training with Andae, and I came 21^st after just four weeks with her.

"Last year I came first in the same event."

Hargraves said having other elite runners, such as Jaylah Hancock-Cameron and Asha Martin, as part of the squad helped boost her performances.

"Jaylah and Asha, and some of the boys, they're really good runners," she said. "I think Asha inspires me the most because she does longer distance, so she does more of what I do.

"It's good having them all to train and race with."

Shayne's mum, Sue, said her daughter had always been a gifted athlete, but lacked the drive to compete on a big stage.

"We've always kind of known," Sue said. "Everyone used to call her lucky legs, because she always managed to keep up with her older siblings and cousins.

"She did Little Athletics when she was younger, but she'd never compete. She'd do well at cross country at school level, but as soon as she got up to Eastern Creek in Sydney, she'd be a bag of nerves and just jog around the track.

"We always thought she didn't have that competitive drive to do really well."

Hargraves rode horses with the Moruya Pony Club, and was doing Broulee Runners when Andae Kalemusic first noticed her.

"For a couple of years, because she was doing Broulee Runners, Andae would always ask about this girl Shayne, and wanted her to be in the squad," Mrs Hargraves said. "We knew somebody else in that squad, and they were always asking if Shayne wanted to be a part of it.

"I'd always say no, because Shayne was just horse mad at that stage."

Mrs Hargraves said that changed two years ago after a race in Canberra.

"One of the other mums asked me if Shayne wanted to train with Andae for the next four weeks to prepare her for her next race," she said. "I asked Shayne, and she said she'd probably be mad if she didn't.

"We went up to Hanging Rock that day to work with Andae, and she immediately said 'I'm not letting her go'.

"Shayne had an instant connection with Andae, and all the other kids in the squad were so welcoming.

"The squad and Andae are what's made Shayne so successful today."

Mrs Hargraves said Andae's relationship with her squad was what made her such an effective coach.

"Andae is firm, but very fair," she said. "She has friendly banter with the kids, and they all respect her.

"She's a friend as well as a coach, and some of the girls look at her like a second mother. They'll ask her for advice for things outside of running.

"If there's a race on that one of her kids can't get to for whatever reason, she'll give them a lift up there. She's very good like that."

Shayne's next goal is the National Cross Country Championships in August.

"We have nationals in August, but I have to make it from the State Championships first," Hargraves said. "If I come in the top 10 at nationals, then I make it to Slovakia for the World Schools Championships.

"That's my big goal at the moment."