Double Olympic champion (2008, 2012) and quadruple world champion (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), mother of two children, is one of the most respected, appreciated and loved athletes from the antipodes.
After the birth of her son in 2018, she resumed competition in early 2020 with a view to debuting in Tokyo. She won bronze for a year due to the Olympics pandemic. At the Paralympic Games, she coached Lisa’s sister, who has cerebral palsy. Lisa won the gold medal in the shot put and was the only one to clear the distance of 15 meters (15.12) in the competition.
“More than gold”, a documentary about Olympic champion Valérie Adams
In the film, she reveals the details of her sporting and private life (at 15 she lost her mother and was homeless for a while), which she has not spoken about in public until now. During her athletic career, Adams became famous for her candid conversations, such as the challenges facing being a professional athlete and the role of a mother, as well as pregnancy issues. She admitted that at the start of the film, she was terrified of publishing her life to such a degree.
– I wanted to show my truth and share my story. I think it’s very important for people to see what real life is like, which is not about medals and other amazing sports stuff, but about everyday struggles. I wanted to tell my story to show where I came from, what I had been through, but at the same time I wanted to get the message across so that people don’t just judge me through the prism of origin, confided Adams at stuff.co. nz.
Theatrical release on October 20 ✨#my trip #mystors #morethangold pic.twitter.com/tV5wwFvD8C
– Lady Valerie Adams (@ValerieAdams84) September 24, 2022
In the world of New Zealand sport, she rose to prominence from the age of 14 as she began to improve senior regional records. She was already very tall then, she was distinguished by what stressed her and made her even more shy. At school, she was often the butt of jokes from other children.
– I’ve always been very shy. I hated my height in school, especially in assemblies when it was time to get up. I felt like a huge “bump” and wanted to disappear. I really wanted to have more confidence than standing tall and proud – she added.
Change through sport
She highlighted the change she had undergone, also thanks to her successful sport and the acceptance, not only of her physique. “It’s the path from shy little Valerie to Valerie who’s not going to shut up ‘hell’ and have an opinion,” she admitted.
The film received a grant from the National Film Commission and the New Zealand government.
Adams, who received the Dame title from Queen Elizabeth II a few years ago, has appeared in five matches (she made her Athens debut in 2004). His achievements include gold in Beijing (2008) and London (2012) as well as silver in Rio de Janeiro (2016) and bronze in Tokyo.
“More than gold”. Valerie Adams movie trailer:
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