Grandmother of Dame Valerie and Steven Adams dies

Valerie Adams and her grandmother. Photo / Instagram

The grandmother of Kiwi sporting stars Dame Valerie Adams and Steven Adams has died at the age of 68.

Finau (Noma) Otuafi was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer in 2014 and on Sunday, Dame Valerie posted a touching tribute to her on instagram.

"My heart hurts," she wrote. "Rest in Love my beautiful Grandma. Say hi to Mum for me."

View this post on Instagram

My heart hurts 💔 Rest in Love my beautiful Grandma. Say hi to Mum for me💕

A post shared by Dame Valerie Adams (@valerieadams84) on Mar 31, 2018 at 3:49pm PDT

In 2015, Adams told the Herald on Sunday she was being pushed to new levels by her grandmother's battle for her life, and is feeling motivated to throw for a third Olympic gold in Rio next year "by the strongest person I know".

Sporting champ Adams lost her much-loved mother, Lilika Ngauamo, to cancer at the age of just 15, and memories of her mother helped her in the build-up to stunning 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning throws.

She said she was also inspired by her grandmother's fight for her life, and that it helped her during her own recovery from surgery.

"Grandma is the toughest person I know."