Valerie Adams inspired by grandmother's courage

Noma Otuafi and granddaughter Valerie Adams have a close bond.

Grandmother’s battle with cancer inspires Valerie Adams to put heart into winning.

World champion shotputter Valerie Adams is paying tribute to her grandmother's courage fighting cancer, saying it is inspiring her to stay on top of the world.

Adams is 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".

For the past six months, Adams, 30, has been supporting United States-based Finau (Noma) Otuafi as she fights stage three peritoneal cancer.

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.

And as her family celebrates 65-year-old Noma's completion of chemotherapy for cancer, our golden girl has spoken of how the courage displayed by her cherished grandmother was also inspiring her.

"It has been a really hard journey, the waterworks have been going off pretty much every time I've thought about it," Adams told the Herald on Sunday. "Reaching the last session of chemo is a massive step for Grandma - and our whole family. I know some pretty damn strong people, people who slog their guts out day-in, day-out. But Grandma is the toughest person I know."

Adams said the courage of Noma - who underwent her final treatment last week - had inspired her during her recovery from career-saving surgery on her left shoulder and right elbow.

Noma's health battle had also reminded Adams of her mother's battle with cancer.

"Things like this make other things in life seem very petty.

"It has really brought back memories of my mother, walking into the hospital room and she was lying there in pain," Adams said.

"Unfortunately, she didn't get as far as chemo - so it's great to see Noma looking like a cute baldy."

When the double Olympic champion travels from New Zealand to her Swiss training base, stop-offs in the US are included so she can spend time with Noma.

Adams has also previously flown her grandmother back to New Zealand and Tonga for holidays.

"It was really hard to leave her and come back to New Zealand. I've just felt so far away," Adams said.

"But the family talk every day, we swap videos and messages and that has been vital to supporting them.

"I've felt like it was my responsibility to pass on the experience I had to go through to help others through.

"Now we just need to wait for this final session of chemo to do its thing before we can see for sure where things are at."