Valerie's Biggest Fan

Think you know Valerie Adams? Superfan Jack Wheeler does. Here’s how the trivia whiz booked his ticket to the Rio Olympics.

Valerie Adams’ biggest fan Jack Wheeler is set for an all expenses paid trip to watch his shot put heroine’s pursuit of a record-breaking hat-trick of Olympic titles in Rio.

The communications worker landed the dream ticket after winning a competition on New Zealand radio, giving 17 correct answers out of 18 in just 60 seconds on the Kiwi throwing legend.

Now the 24-year-old “sports nut” is on his way to “the greatest show on Earth” with his partner Megan. They’ll watch four Olympic events including Adams’ quest for gold on the evening of Friday August 12, which is the opening day of the athletics schedule in Rio.

The competition, organised by long-standing Adams sponsor Visa, was a golden opportunity that the 24-year-old says he couldn’t turn down.

“I always get very excited every four years for the Olympics,” says Wheeler, who hails from Auckland. “When I saw it online and to prove I am Valerie’s biggest fan, I took a chance to enter and crossed my fingers.”

Wheeler was one of eight hopefuls randomly drawn for the final. Although he was given little clue as to the structure of the competition he had entered, he was told to bone up on his Adams stats – a task he took very seriously. As a passionate New Zealand sports fan he had a good working knowledge of Adams’ career, but he went that extra step to ensure he knew as much as possible about the seven-time world champion.

“I decided as this was my one chance to go the Olympics, I might as well learn everything I can about Valerie,” he says. “So I looked up everything from her middle name to how many brothers and sisters she had. ZM Radio station kept giving lots of random stats about her and I wrote down every one I heard.

“By the time of the final I felt like I was her close friend – I almost felt a bit of a stalker.”

Primed and ready, the first challenge he faced on the competition day was to mark out the distance of Adams’ 21.24m PB and place a shot down on a mock throwing strip.

Contestants' attempts to mark out Adams' PB 21.24m throw are measured

He was amongst the six best to place his shot, and so advanced to the next round. The next challenge was completely random, and he got lucky, finding a golden ticket inside a gumball to make it to the grand final along with one other contestant.

Yet there was nothing random about Wheeler’s encyclopaedic knowledge. He was given up to 20 multiple choice questions on the Kiwi throwing titan and 60 seconds to answer them. Such was the tight timing, Wheeler only managed to answer 18 inside the minute. He thought he’d blown it.

“I knew I got one wrong [the year Adams was named IAAF Female Athlete of the Year] because I was in such a rush I pressed the wrong button,” he explains. “As soon as I pressed it I thought ‘I’ve just cost myself a trip to Rio’.”

Following a Samba dance routine (very Rio) the event organisers read out his opponent’s answers. His rival scored 12 – the dream was alive.

When his name was confirmed as the winner, Wheeler says: “People were shaking my hands and it felt as if I had won the Olympics.

“Going on the trip is just sinking in. Living right at the bottom of the world, I never thought I would be going to the greatest show on Earth.”

After staying in budget accommodation on a recent trip around Europe, Jack and Megan are relishing the prospect of a luxury trip to Rio. Wheeler also hopes to see some swimming and gymnastics while out in Brazil, but his main event will be watching Adams pursue history on August 12.

The defending Olympic champ congratulated Wheeler when he won, appearing on the big screen from Switzerland. Both will be hoping for a role reversal when Wheeler cheers on Adams in the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange.

Is her biggest fan confident she can clinch a hat-trick of Olympic titles?

“I really think she can pull it off, and we’ll be screaming for her in the crowd,” Wheeler says. “I know she’s confident. To win a third successive Olympic gold will make her one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

“With the title of ‘Valerie’s biggest fan’, to watch her win would be a life highlight for me.”

Are you a bigger Valerie Adams fan than Valerie Adams' Biggest Fan?

Here are the questions that got Jack Wheeler to Rio. Let us know how you do!

1. How tall is Valerie?

a) 1.91cm // b) 2.01m // c) 1.93m

2. Where was Valerie born?

a) Auckland // b) Palmerston North // c) Rotorua

3. In which year did Valerie win the world junior champs?

a) 2000 // b) 2002 // c) 1999

4. When was Valerie’s first Olympics Games?

a) 2000 // b) 2004 // c) 2008

5. Where did Valerie place in her first Olympics?

a) Third // b) First // c) Seventh

6. How many Commonwealth Games has Valerie attended?

a) 3 // b) 4 // c) 2

7. How is Steven Adams related to Valerie?

a) Cousin // b) Brother // c) He is not related

8. What year did Valerie carry the flag for the NZ Commonwealth Games Team?

a) 2014 // b) 2010 // c) 2006

9. If Valerie wins gold in Rio – she will have won 3 Olympic Gold Medals in a row. How many other female track and field Olympians have achieved this feat?

a) 2 // b) 0 // c) 6

10. How many world championships has Valerie won?

a) Four // b) Two // c) Seven

11. How many Commonwealth gold medals has Valerie won?

a) Two // b) Three // c) Four

12. Where is Valerie’s training base?

a) Porritt Stadium, Hamilton // b) Switzerland // c) Mt Smart, Penrose

13. What is Valerie’s personal best?

a) 20.37m // b) 21.24m // c) 22.89m

14. What year was Valerie voted IAAF International Female Athlete of the Year?

a) 2014 // b) 2012 // c) 2015

15. Valerie’s first coach was a…?

a) Former NZ Shot Put Champion // b) Former NZ Discus Champion // c) Former NZ Javelin Champion

16. What is Valerie’s middle name?

a) Cynthia // b) Belinda // c) Kasanita

17. What year was Valerie born?

a) 1984 // b) 1986 // c) 1988

18. Who is Valerie’s current coach?

a) Jean-Paul Guitter // b) Jean-Pierre Egger // c) Jean-Claude Essan

19. How heavy is the shot put Valerie uses at the Olympics?

a) 4kg // b) 3kg // c) 5kg

20. How long as Visa been a partner with Valerie?

a) 10 years // b) 12 years // c) 7 years