Dame Valerie Adams, one of New Zealand's most successful and celebrated Olympic athletes, is visiting Tonga this week to discuss ways that Tonga can improve or create a better sporting system for athletes.
She is a special guest speaker at a three-day “well-being” workshop for Tongan athletes, held at the TASANOC headquarter, Nuku'alofa, from 17-19 December.
The workshop was designed to build stronger and more inclusive sporting communities in Tonga, through teaching athletes different skills to improve their personal well-being on and off the field.
Valerie told Matangi Tonga today, that the well-being of an athlete is substantial to their performance in the field.
“As athletes, I think sometimes we tend to forget about someone’s personal health and well-being – but we need to realize is that we need to look at each person as a person first, then an athlete second.
“If we can get the athletes to be happy, to be the best version of themselves and to thrive as a person then you will get a better outcome from athlete,” she said.
Valerie said that it’s also important for coaches to prioritize their athletes’ personal well-being – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – to get the best out of them on the field.
The workshop was is an important parof TASANOC's programme to prepare Tongan athletes for upcoming sporting events, including the Oceania Athletics Championship which will be hosted by Tonga next year on 29 October to 1 November.
Tonga looks forward to hosting the 2031 Pacific Games and Valarie said that it’s important to start preparing athletes now.
She said that the workshop created a safe space for athletes, to discuss ways that Tonga can improve or create a better sporting system for athletes.
Dame Valerie
Dame Valerie Kasanita Adams DNZM is a retired New Zealand shot putter. She is a four-time World champion, four-time World Indoor champion, two-time Olympic, three-time Commonwealth Games champion and twice IAAF Continental Cup winner. She has a personal best throw of 21.24 metres outdoors and 20.98 metres indoors
Adams (40) was born in Rotorua to a Tongan mother and an English father.
In 2017 she was made the youngest Dame in New Zealand history. She had previously been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
In 2022 Adams was appointed to the board of High Performance Sport New Zealand. She has served several terms on the World Athletics Athletes' Commission. In 2019 she was elected deputy chair of the Commission and in 2023 she became its chair. She has also chaired the Oceania Athletics Athletes' Commission.
