Watch the stunning first trailer for new doco about Dame Valerie Adams

Dame Valerie Adams is truly a New Zealand sports icon.

Now the Olympian is heading to the big screen in her own new documentary Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD.

Today the first trailer for the feature about Olympic champion, Kiwi icon, and Tongan leader was unveiled. The movie is set to have its nationwide cinema release on October 20, 2022.

Directed by Briar March and produced by Leanne Pooley, Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD is the candid and inspirational story of Dame Valerie Adams; one of the world’s most celebrated athletes. It is a story of a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a survivor. At a time when sportswomen globally are struggling with pressures beyond the field of play Dame Valerie Adams is a beacon of hope.

"I want people to laugh, I want people to cry, I want people to be with me in the serious moments but then I want people to celebrate. I’ve told my story, my own way," states Dame Valerie.

Competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games required all the shot-putter’s determination and courage.

 At 36, following two major surgeries and the birth of her children, she was considered an ‘older’ athlete. Struggling to balance her role as a mum with her job as an elite sportsperson, Dame Valerie was forced to navigate emotions every mother will identify with. Woven around observational scenes of Dame Valerie’s journey to Tokyo, is her astonishing backstory.

Over the course of 25 years, Dame Valerie has conquered adversity time and time again. Many New Zealanders believe they know Dame Valerie Adams, but in Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, Dame Valerie shares her story with honesty and vulnerability exposing her in a way few high-profile people dare.

The feature is destined to resonate with ordinary New Zealanders in an extraordinarily human way. For those who have faced hardship, lost someone they loved, or held onto a dream, this film will deliver. It is both funny and gut-wrenching as Dame Valerie shows us what it means to be a world-class competitor and a person for whom winning means more than gold.

Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD director Briar March states, "There is so much more to Dame Valerie's story than you would expect. She has overcome significant challenges to achieve her dreams. 

Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD is a film about what matters most and looks at the strength it takes to look beyond our limitations and circumstances and reach our fullest potential.

Dame Valerie is a role model, and I am genuinely excited by the positive impact her story will have on audiences everywhere."  

Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD opens in New Zealand cinemas October 20, 2022.