Valerie Adams is now a Dame Featured
Dame Valerie Adams
3 January, 2016. Pacific people have been recognised for services to their communities in the New Year Honours list, with two receiving the highest honour.
New Zealand's double Olympic gold medallist shotputter, Valerie Adams, is now a Dame.
A world-renowned shot putter, Dame Valerie has won four World Championship gold medals, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and three World Indoor Championship gold medals.
She is only the second New Zealand Dame to be recognised for sport since Susan Devoy in 1998 and says she hopes her New Year's honours recognition inspires more Pacific women to chase their dreams.
Dame Valerie said the journey had sometimes been a tough one.
"I'm a strong wahine, I'm a strong woman from south Auckland and with a very very strong background of being half Tongan and half English but born and bred in New Zealand, south Auckland, and I think that's been a massive part to my achievements on and off the field," she said.
Dame Valerie said it was "awesome" to receive the honour at age 32 and to be able to enjoy it with her family.
She had previously been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 honours.
-RNZI
