Valerie Adams celebrating her 19.65 m shot put throw

Valerie Adams: Children, Barbie, Dame & Net Worth

Valerie Adams (birth name Valerie Kasanita Adams) is a shot putter from New Zealand. She was born on October 6, 1984. She was also known as Valerie Vili.

The New Zealander Shot Putter holds the World champion title four times, World Indoor champion for three times and Olympics for two times, and Commonwealth champion for three times.

Currently, she maintains her personal best throw of 21.24 meters outdoors and 20.54 m indoors.

Valerie Adams flaunting her beautiful smile
Valerie Adams at GGNZ Investiture (Source: Valerie Adams’ Facebook)

Valerie, just at the age of 17, won her first World Youth Championship gold medal.

Let us get to know about her weight, height, family, partner, net worth, and more!

Valerie Adams: At a Glimpse

Here are some quick facts about Valerie Adams:

Full Name Valerie Kasanita Adams
Place of birth  Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Birth Date October 6, 1984 (Saturday)
Residence Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Height 6’ 3.”
Weight 264 lbs
Age 39 Years Old
Profession Shot Putter
Coaches Kirsten Hellier, Scott Goodman, Jean-Pierre Egger, and Dale Stevenson
Nationality New Zealand
Ethnicity Multiracial
Religion Christian
Zodiac Sign Libra
Hobbies Cooking, Baking, Sewing, and Gardening
Education Southern Cross Campus
Father’s Name Sydney Adams
Mother’s Name Lilika Ngauamo
Siblings 18
Marital Status Married
Sexual Orientation Straight
Husband’s Name Gabriel Price
Children 2 (Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price, Kepaleli Tava Sydney Adams-Price)
Eye Color Dark Brown
Hair Color Dark Brown
Net Worth $1-5 Million
Brand Endorsements AIA Vitality NZ, Toyota NZ
Social Media Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Merch Rubber Shot Put, Wrist Support
Last Update March, 2024

Valerie Adams: Height and Weight

The New Zealand player stands at the height of 6 ft 1 inch and has a body weight of 187 Lbs.

Valerie Adams: Family

Valerie was raised by Lilika Ngauamo (mother) and Sydney Adams (father). Her mother was a Tongan, while her father was English.

After the service in the Royal Navy, Valerie’s father decided to settle in New Zealand. He had a total of 18 children with five different women.

So, basically, Valerie grew up with 17 siblings. Besides this large number of siblings, the Adams built is huge.

Many of her siblings became professional athletes like herself.

The Adams brothers have an average height of 2.06 meters (6-feet-9), and the sister’s average height is 1.83 meters (6-feet) in height.

Valerie Adams and Steven Adams

The famous NBA (National Basketball Association) player named Steven Adams; and Valerie Adams are, in fact, related.

Steven is the youngest Adams sibling. Currently, he is playing for the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA.

When he was asked to paint a picture of an enforcer in the family, Steven immediately painted his sister Valerie.

Furthermore, he added, “If I’d even tried to get in with a gang, my sister Viv would have yanked me right back out again.”

The two are quite close; they frequently visit each other and post it on their social media.

The Brothers in the NZNBL

Aside from Steven, Valerie’s two other brothers (Warren and Ralph), they also played as professional basketball players in New Zealand.

In the late 80s, Warren Adams played in the New Zealand National Basketball League. During this time, he won the Young Player of the Year award twice.

Ralph Adams is one of the eldest Adams siblings. He, too, played for the New Zealand NBA.

This 6-feet-6 point guard was very well known for his agile movements, sleek, smooth shots, and dominance over his opponents.

Valerie Adams and Lisa Adams

Lisa Adams had cerebral palsy, and yet that didn’t give her any loss of hope. Instead, she inspires others with her games. She is a New Zealand Paralympic shot put and discus thrower.

Valerie is Lisa’s personal coach. Like the elder sister, the younger sister participates in international level competitions.

Learn about: Reese Hoffa: Shot Put, Adaption, Wife & Net Worth

Valerie Adams: Childhood

Valerie was a shy kid who was regularly bullied for her huge build and height. Thus, in school, she avoided getting attention.

Nevertheless, when Valerie was 14, her Physical Education (P.E.) teacher made it mandatory for her to participate in a regional school competition.

In this competition, she broke the shot put record, which had previously been untouched for 20 straight years.

Valerie Adams: Love life

Ex-husband Bertrand Vili

In 2004, Valerie once had been married to Bertrand Vili. He was a discus thrower from New Caledonia. However, this marriage experienced few difficulties only years later.

Thus, this couple decided to split in the early part of 2010.

Current Husband Gabriel Price

On April 2, 2016, Valerie got married once again to Gabriel Price. The marriage took place at Temple View in Hamilton. Gabriel and Valerie were friends since childhood.

In contrast to the previous one, this marriage is going pretty well for the couple, and Valerie is close with her in-laws.

Valerie Adams: Children

Valerie and Gabriel’s first child, Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price, was born on 11 October 2017. The eldest child is a daughter.

Likewise, their second child, Kepaleli Tava Sydney Adams-Price, was born on March 23. The child arrived five weeks early before the due date in Auckland Hospital. The youngest child is a son.

Valerie Adams: Complications in pregnancy

Right after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Valerie and her husband made up their minds to start a small family of their own.

A year away from sports for professional athletes was scary, but it was important.

As a teenager, Valerie had few symptoms of endometriosis. She had a benign tumor which made it hard to conceive a baby naturally. Thus, she started her rounds of IVF (In vitro fertilization).

Valerie with her Child and Husband
Valerie with her Child and Husband

Because of the experience she went through as a mother or in the process of becoming one, Valerie is passionate about talking about maternity.

She wants other female athletes to know the importance of getting tests done if one aims to become a mother at some point in life.

With the obstacles during her pregnancy, she had to get two rounds of IVF treatments.

She feels blessed because she can pay for the IVF treatments.

Valerie Adams: Career

Early Career

In 1998, Valerie linked up a prior Javelin thrower Kirsten Hellier. Kirsten and Valerie started a successful partnership that lasted for 11 whole years.

The factors that contributed to Valerie’s bullying (height and build) were also the factors that granted her success in Shot Put.

Valerie got selected as a member of the representative team for the 1999 World Youth Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

In this championship, she was positioned in the 10th rank and received the best throw in the finals of 12.82 meters.

In September of 2000, a tragic calamity hit Valerie and her family as her mother passed away because of Cancer. This happened after the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

In her mother’s loving memory, she took a vow to prove herself here onwards and got determined to conqueror her success.

Whenever a problem arose, whether it be a personal problem or a professional one, Valerie looked up to Kirsten.

She was like a second mother to Valerie. And so, Valerie moved into her coach’s house.

You might be interested in reading about Parry O’Brien: Careers, Olympics, Death & Net Worth.

Professional Career

With a throw of 16.87 meters, Valerie won the World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, in 2001.

Additionally, in 2002, with a throw of 17.73 meters, she became the World Junior champion in Kingston, Jamaica. This winning throw was almost a meter ahead of the silver medalist.

Valerie won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, in her first senior competition. She was only 8 cm away from winning the gold medal, at 17.45 meters.

This led to her first senior competition, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

The 17-year-old surprised people back at home in New Zealand with a silver medal, throwing 17.45m, only 8cm apart from getting the gold.

Valerie proved herself between 2001 and 2018 as she won 15 shot put titles at the New Zealand Athletics Championships.

Furthermore, she also won four times at the Australian Athletics Championships between 2004 and 2008.

Likewise, from 2006 to 2012, Valerie was also chosen as the New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year seven times in a row.

Valerie, being the leading national athlete in an Olympic sport, was awarded the Lonsdale Cup on five separate occasions as a part of the recognition.

Valerie Adams: Career and Covid-19

In the early part of 2020, Valerie qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She met the qualifying standard of 18.65 meters.

The year 2020 was supposedly her last year for the Olympics, but with the global pandemic in place, that was out of the question.

So, most likely, one would think that the Olympics’ postponement must have caused her distress and changed any participation plans.

Yet, that is definitely not the case for strong Valerie. Even with the pandemic, there is a balance in her work and family life.

Her kids, family members are doing well. As a matter of fact, so is she. She has no injuries and loves to throw the shot put.

Learn about: David Storl: Career, Wife, Children & Net Worth

How Valerie Adams became a Dame?

Valerie is the youngest New Zealander to be named a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2017 New Year Honors.

Her service for the field of athletics is recognized, and thus the government of New Zealand thanks and congratulates her for serving the nation.

Right after the investiture at the Government House, Auckland, Valerie rejoiced and conveyed a short and simple message to everyone.

The message reads that she hopes with the Dame title, more doors get opened.

Valerie Adams: Awards and Achievements

One of New Zealand’s most celebrated track and field athletes is Valerie Adams. In her career, she participated and won in several events such as:

  • Out of the four Olympics that Valerie participated in, she won two gold medals (Beijing 2008 and London 2012) and one silver medal (Rio 2016).
  • Similarly, after her Manchester debut in 2002 for the Commonwealth Games, she won three gold (2006, 2013, 2014) and two silver medals (2002, 2003).
  • Valerie has a winning streak of 107 competitions of women’s shots put between 2006 and 2014.
  • In 2014, she was presented with the title of the IAAF world female athlete of the year.
  • Following that, in her last major competition, Valerie finished second in the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Game.
  • The Kiwi woman won 15 shot put national titles for New Zealand.
  • She was the Halberg Sportswoman of the year award seven straight years from 2006 – 2012.
  • Subsequently, she also won five NZOC’s Lonsdale Cup (2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, and 2014).
  • Further, Valerie also holds the record for the Oceanian junior (18.93 m) and the Oceanian youth (17.54 m) for shot put.

Valerie Adams: Barbie

Growing up, Dame Valerie Adams didn’t have Barbie dolls to play with. And even if she somehow reached her hands, the dolls undeniably wouldn’t appear like her (claiming the build size and height).

However, in the 21st century, things are quite different than they used to be. Her daughter of age 3, Kimoana, will see Barbies that look like her mother.

Valerie with her Action Figure
Valerie with her Action Figure

When she saw her Barbie at a glance, she was extremely shocked. Although a little freaky, she was amazed to see the Barbie in her hands.

But, the Barbie was one of a kind, quite literally. It is not up for sale and is a limited edition.

Valerie Adams: Book

Valerie has her own book called “Valerie: The autobiography.” Phil Gifford writes this autobiography, and of course, the information in the book is ensured by Valerie Adams herself.

The book was published on October 30, 2012, by Hachette New Zealand Ltd.

Now, Valerie’s autobiography is a rare one, as Valerie keeps no secrets, and there is a lot of information regarding her personal life, including her love life with her ex-husband and her professional life with previous coaches.

Valerie Adams: Fun Facts

  1. Valerie is a Christian and goes to church regularly. So she is a constant member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
  2. Her training base is at the Centre national de sport de Macolin, which is located in Switzerland.
  3. She became the first New Zealander to receive the World Athlete of the Year in 2014 in Monaco.
  4. During the 2014 Athens Olympics, Valerie was just recovering from her appendix surgery which was done just weeks earlier.
  5. Valerie became the first woman Matapule of Houma. Matapule is a chief of a village, while Houma is the village of her deceased mother. She was titled the name Tongi Tupe Oe Taua to recognize her success in sports. Thus, she smashed the gender bias in Tonga.

Valerie Adams: Social Accounts

Dame Valerie is quite active on Twitter. She shares and retweets about things happening around Shot put, and her family.

She joined Twitter in August of 2012, and she has 26,000 followers.

Valerie is also active on Instagram with over 65.5k followers.

Similarly, she uses her Facebook to repost the Instagram posts.

Valerie Adams: Net Worth

The Kiwi shot putter is considered to be one of the richest female athletics.

In addition, she also makes it to the list of Most popular female athletics.

This famous athlete’s net worth  is around $1-5 Million.

Being a professional Athletics Competitor, Valerie earned this money primarily from gameplays.

Similarly, like most athletes, she too earned money through many sponsorship deals, endorsements, playing exhibitions, and bonuses.

FAQs

What is Valerie Adams’s marital status?

Valerie Adams is happily married to Gabriel Price. They have been together since 2016.

How many children does Valerie Adams have?

She has 2 children, a daughter named Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price and a son named Kepaleli Tava Sydney Adams-Price.

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