Myrtleford's Jade Hazeldine will run for Australia in China next month.

The 17-year-old athlete is preparing to represent her country in the Under 23 category at the 2026 Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships in Wuyishan, Fujian Province, on November 26, where she'll compete against athletes from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Jade is one of only seven athletes selected nationally in the Under 23 age group by the Australian Ultra and Trail Runners Association (AUTRA) and will be part of a 21-strong team competing across a range of championship events, with Jade to run in a 12.2km event.

The young runner said her selection is the realisation of a dream she had not even known she was chasing when she first began running.

"Growing up in Myrtleford and the surrounding region I tried a vast range of sports - including football, netball and swimming - and it wasn't until 2024 that I started to take more of a interest in running," she said.

Playing football with the Saints Under-14 boys team and captaining the V/Line girls team, Jade's aerobic capacity and ability to maintain her work rate became a defining part of her game and laid the foundations of her future in distance running.

By 2025 she decided to explore running a little further, initially viewing it as an off-season way to improve her fitness.

With encouragement from her mum, she began entering local running events, with her first trail-running experience being Bright's Buffalo Stampede in March 2025.

Faced with steep climbs, technical terrain and an 800-metre elevation challenge, she quickly discovered that road running and trail running were two very different worlds.

"The wrong shoes made the experience even more challenging, and there were moments I found myself face-first on the trail while tackling the climb," she recalled.

What began as a fitness experiment soon became a genuine passion, which went to the next level when she was approached by coach James Sieber, and late last year placed 10th in the U18 women's at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Ballarat.

Parents Rory and Elisha said they were incredibly proud of Jade's dedication and achievements.

"Seeing her find something she loves so deeply and watching where that passion has taken her has been really special for us as her parents,” they said.

Behind the achievement lies a tremendous amount of work.

Jade has had to balance the demands of Year 12, school examinations, part-time employment and a growing training commitment, all while preparing financially for an international competition.

Coming from a regional community without access to the same specialised training facilities and running groups available in larger centres, she has had to make the most of the opportunities around her, remain disciplined and trust the process.

She said the support of her family, coach and local community has become one of the things she values most.

Local businesses and community members have stepped forward to help make her trip to China possible.

“I honestly wouldn't be where I am today without the people who have supported me along the way," Jade said.

"Everyone who has helped me over the past few months has made a real difference to my journey, and I am so grateful.

"Being able to represent Australia is something I am incredibly proud of, and I want to make the most of this opportunity.”

As she prepares for China, Jade is also approaching another major milestone: graduating from school and turning 18, all while looking ahead to the next chapter of her life and her ambitions in running.

She hopes to continue developing as a distance runner, explore future opportunities in the sport and inspire other young people in regional communities to pursue their own ambitions, even if they do not yet know where those ambitions might lead.

Jade also shares glimpses of her journey through her social media account, @Jadey.sports11, where she posts about training, food, competitions and everyday life as a young athlete balancing sport, study and work.