By PAUL YANDALL
Valerie Adams: 16 years old, 193cm tall, 120kg, size-15 shoes - world-class shot-putter.
The Southern Cross Campus fifth-former is a schoolgirl in a first-class thrower's body, and she is breaking the records to prove it.
The South Aucklander smashed an eight-year-old shot-put record at the weekend at the New Zealand College Games in Hamilton - a record set by former world discus champion Beatrice Faumuina.
She also collected firsts in the discus and hammer-throw events.
"I didn't think too much of it. Yeah, it was a good week, I suppose," says a modest Adams.
Other shot-put records Adams has taken from Faumuina are those in the under-18, under-20, secondary school seniors and secondary school junior categories - "I beat that one by 2m [with a record 16.70m throw]."
All of those benchmarks were surpassed in only two years. Adams began competing in athletics at the end of 1998.
She was discovered at a school competition by Commonwealth Games silver medallist javelin thrower Kirsten Hellier, who has coached her at the Counties Manukau Athletics Club ever since.
"Her physical attributes are her greatest asset. She has a wonderful stature, wonderful levers - big long arms, long legs," says Hellier.
Adams is ranked seventh in the world in shot-put in the under-20 category and fourth in the under-18.
"The real test will be when she reaches the upper group, where she will be competing against women like herself. That will be the true measure of how good she is," says Hellier.
The New Zealand and Australian championships early next year are her next big meets. After that there are the World Junior Games and the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
Then there will be the 2004 Olympics.
"I want to take it step by step, but I would love to be at the Olympics," says Adams.
Her extraordinary physical attributes, which she credits to her Tongan-European heritage and her "massive" father, is shared by most of her family.
Her brothers play professional basketball overseas. "I'm the little one."
The death of her mother, Lilika Ngauamo, of cancer in September was a blow. "She was my number one sports fan. She was sick for a while but no one thought it would be so quick."
Adams says her recent success has helped to ease some of the loss and Hellier has treated her like a daughter.
Hot shot schoolgirl puts in record effort
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