Lisa Adams has bettered the women's para shot put world record for the second time in three weeks
Still in her first season of para shot put, Rotorua's Lisa Adams has already put together an impressive list of achievements.
She threw 14.13m, which was further than the F37 world record, and finished second at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in March. Two weeks later she smashedthat, throwing 14.52m at the Sir Graeme Douglas Athletics Championships.
At the weekend, Adams added to that list again. A 14.04m throw was enough to take the Australian Track and Field Championships ambulant (standing) para shot put title in Sydney.
Adams has left hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects the movement and growth of muscles on the limbs of one side of her body.
She was without her sister and coach Valerie Adams, who had just given birth to her second child, while in Sydney and says she felt "a bit flat" at the event, but is learning more every time she competes.
"My first throw, there was just no aggression in it. It was just about getting it out there and getting a feel for it. They were all quite similar, I just couldn't lift in the end really but I pretty much led all the way through and I was happy with that last throw.
"There's stuff I've experienced and stuff I haven't. I'm still new to competing and working things out. Every time you compete it's different; the weather's different, the atmosphere's different, the climate's different. Everything is so new so it's all about learning this season.
Lisa Adams threw 14.04m to win the para shot put at the Australian Track and Field Championships in Sydney. Photo / Getty Images
"It's like if you went into town without a jacket, it started raining and you got soaked. Next time, you'd take a jacket. Every competition I learn something new - what works and what doesn't."
Adams' personal best throw at the start of this season was 11.38m. She has dedicated herself to training, with the help of Valerie, and now is able to throw more than 3m further than that. There appears to be no limit to her potential.
"I am pretty proud. Every competition makes me want to train more, the good ones and the bad ones. When I have the unfavourable ones, I want to make it good and correct it. When you have a good day you want to train to try and replicate that stuff and make it more consistent."
Her focus now is on the Oceania Area and Combined Events Championships in Townsville, Australia at the end of June in which she has been selected to represent New Zealand.
"I'm looking forward to it. The goal is just to maintain form - without having laid out proper goals with my sister which is what we usually do. During these next few months I'd like to get technically better, get stronger, stuff like that.
"I just want to throw the best I can throw. If I do that I'll be happy. Like at nationals, I came second but I was happy with my throw so I was ecstatic."
