By Michelle Pickles
Valerie Adams leaves next week for her training base in Switzerland on her way to the London Olympics.
The Olympic champion was visiting some Auckland school children today to tell them about her upcoming sporting journey, and inspire them to be active.
“[I want] to be able to give a couple of hours out of my training schedule to be with them and help them along and show them what we do.
“It’s good to be part of it. This is where it all starts and hopefully they'll continue to be healthy little kiwi kids.”
Adams returns to Switzerland next week where she will continue to prepare to defend her Olympic title.
She says the training is hard, but so is leaving friends and family behind for long periods.
“I’ve never actually been this sad about it, and I’m tearing up now about it. But it’s going to be good.
“You know my eye is on London and I’m going to be as prepared as possible going in to London, and this is part of the journey and I’ve just got to take it.”
Having her Swiss coach Jean Pierre Eggar with her in New Zealand for the summer has made things much easier for Adams.
“If he wasn't here, I would have had to stay [in Switzerland] basically from December right through until October again. And that would have been a lot harder on me than anything.”
The three time world champion says under Eggar she has become fitter, faster, stronger and more confident of her technique.
Adams’ first real test this year will be the world indoor championships in Istanbul in two weeks time where she will attempt to regain the title she lost two years ago.
“Everything we do now is a journey towards London. Every competition we compete at is a journey to London.”
3 News