Dame Valerie Adams, of Auckland, DNZM, for services to athletics
Dame Valerie Adams is a world-renowned shot putter who has won four World Championship gold medals, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and three World Indoor Championship gold medals.
Dame Valerie is the first woman to win four consecutive individual titles at the world track and field championships, achieving gold in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. She has also won a bronze and four silver medals at the international level, most recently earning silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. She currently holds the New Zealand, Oceanian, Commonwealth and equal World Championship record for a personal best throw of 21.24 metres, which she set in August 2011. Between 2010 and 2014 she achieved an unprecedented winning streak across 56 competitions. She is one of a small number of athletes internationally who have won world championships at youth, junior and senior levels of an athletic event. Nationally she has won 14 New Zealand national women’s shot put titles. She has received the Halberg Supreme Award on three occasions and was named Halberg Sportswoman of the Year for seven consecutive years. Dame Valerie was named the International Association of Athletics Federations World Female Athlete of the Year in 2014