Valerie - our hero

Today we went to see Valerie Adams at the Warehouse. We saw her walk in
and she was too tall for the door!  First we waited out side to let the members 

of the public in first.
When it was our turn to go in we were all excited to see her. In one of
our photos it looks like she is touching one of the signs. My favourite
part was when we saw her get out of the car. Soon after that we went and
got some autographs on some books that we took.  We made one of our own
books that we gave to Valerie Adams.

Meeting Valerie Adams

Today we meet Valerie Adams. It was very cool. She was very tall and when
we got a photo with her it looked like she was on a podium. We gave her a
book we made and she was delighted. I got to I give her a magazine to sign
and she said "Is that really me?". 

Meeting Valerie Adams

On Wednesday Room 6 walked to the Warehouse to meet Valerie Adams. We were
all very pleased to see our hero. When she arrived we were waiting
outsideand we cheered. She was super tall. Mrs K went inside to
buy her book for her to sign. It was a book signing. We also made her a
book about the Olympics 2012. We got a big group photo with her. I was
standing beside her and she made me feel small. Some of the class got to
hold her GOLD MEDAL. They were very, very lucky. I think it was neat
meeting the world champion for shot put. I also think that she LOVED the
book we gave her and I think she will be doing a lot of reading this
weekend.  This was a neat experience meeting Valerie Adams.

Meeting Valerie Adams

Today Room 6 went to the warehouse, and we saw Valerie Adams. Michaela asked Valerie to sign the magazine, and Anahera and I gave her a book that our class made. Valerie asked for a photo with us and Mrs K was happy to take one. So Valerie gave me the gold metal to hold and it felt really heavy. When we went outside we waited for Valerie to get in her car. When she came out we cheered her on.  Then she left and we went back to school.   

Valerie Adams

Today we walked to the Warehouse, not to get a bargain, but to meet the
great Valerie Adams. We partnered up and walked.  Everyone was talking about
how excited we all were. Finally we arrived.  After about five minutes a
red car pulled up and out came Valerie. Everyone cheered and clapped. We
went inside and got some posters and books signed then the whole class got
a photo with her. She was really tall compared to us. After all the fun
she had to leave but the privilege of meeting her was awesome.

Valerie Adams

Today we went to Valerie.  We all walked partner was Michaela.  I was so excited to meet Valerie.  I had butterflies in my tummy, like going on a stage for the first time.  I was really, really looking forward to seeing Valerie.  It was very exciting being able to meet our hero.  We got our biography book signed and a photo with her.  She is very tall and it looked like she was standing on a very high step stall.  When we gave her our book to sign she had to copy something that had our school name.  We were the only class that was there to see her.  I got to hold her medal.  It was quite heavy and very thick.  The medals is made out of 6 grams of gold.  The picture was on the medal was an angel thing and on the other side is the 2012 logo.  We were so lucky to meet Valerie Adams.  We hope she likes the book we made for her.

The big, The Great Valerie Adams

Room 6 went to go see Valerie Adams in the Warehouse on Wednesday. We made a book with all our stories from the groups about the gold medal. Valerie is very tall, she towers over even the tall people in our class. She brought the gold medal for people to hold. She was there for a book signing. The book is all about her. She was only here for fifteen minutes. We got her signature on her book and we They gave us the poster form the warehouse that said see was coming for her book signing. Mrs K brought in a magazine with her on it. As we were getting ready to leave we had a vote to see if anyone would want to stay and watch her leave and we did stay. When we were walking home we saw her drive past. 

Olympic star

Today we all got a big surprise because Mrs K said at twelve o'clock we were going to see Valerie Adams at the warehouse. We walked to the warehouse.  There was big poster of Valerie Adams. We were supposed to be quiet but we were very loud because we were so excited. We saw Valerie get out of her car and walk in. She sat down and signed some books.  She has got a new book called Valerie. Mrs K bought the book and got it signed and she got her magazine signed. Some people got to hold her gold medal. We all got a photo with her. She was so tall she had to duck to get in.

Meeting Valerie Adams Bridget

Meeting Valerie Adams
On Wednesday the 7th of November we walked down to the Warehouse to see
Valerie Adams. We brought her Magazine and a book we made for her with us.
We also brought her book at the Warehouse. We got a picture all together.
Some people got to hold her gold medal. Some people also got to get a
picture by themselves with her.  No one thought she was as tall as she was
untillthey actually met her. We had lots of fun meeting the gold medal
champion. Valerie really liked the book we made for her about the Olympics
and how Valerie won the shot put event at the Olympics. I really enjoyed
meeting Valerie Adams it was amazing.

Valerie Adams

Valerie Adams
On Wednesday the 7th of November Room 6 went down to the Warehouse to see
Valerie Adams. Mrs K bought the book of Valerie Adams and the magazine
and she signed the magazineand the book.  We got to keep the poster that has a
picture of Valerie Adams and it is on our class board. When we got there we got a fright to see how
tall she was when we got a photo it looks like she is touching the sign on the roof .

Valerie Adams surprise signing.

On Wednesday we went to meet Valerie Adams at the Warehouse for her book
signing. It was a surprise. We waited for her to come and boy was she
tall. We lined up and got a photo taken. Some lucky people got to go up to
Valerie and get something signed and also got to hold the gold medal. It
was a great surprise and we all found out something new about Valerie.

Valerie Adams - Our Hero

What a wonderful opportunity today to meet Valerie Adams!

Valerie Adams

Hi I’m Valerie Adams. I’m in the gym getting ready for the Olympics. I’m on the treadmill warming up to go out on the field.  I’m having a drink of water before I go onto the field. I am doing a few warm ups and doing a few stretches and I’m going out to get a gold.

Hi I’m Valerie Adams and I’m in the middle of the competition I just did a great throw and then up comes Nadzeya Ostapchuk.  She throws like a man. I’m on my last throw; it’s good, but not good enough because Nadzeya throws a 21.3metres. I throw 20metres.

I get to stand on the second place on the podium.  It is not my usual gold.  I am disappointed and sad that it is not my nations flag in the middle getting raised, not my national anthem. I feel like I have let down my country but they will think I tried my hardest and put my best effort into it.        

I’m standing on the podium in second place. I could have been first but my throw wouldn’t go as far as Nadzeya Ostapchuk. Hearing Nadzeya countries national anthem is good but it could be New Zealand’s, but it’s not. Now I am on my way to my coach’s house. I turned on the radio I screamed yay I won gold. Lots of people I talked to thought Nadzeya was a boy but they tested her and it turns out that she took drugs that made her sound and look different. That made her have a better throw and that is cheating. When I got to my couches house I fell into his arms I said yay, I won Nadzeya took drugs.

Today

I’m driving to my coach’s house listening to the radio then I hear the name of the gold medalist pop up. That day I felt like I’d just been robbed and strip of my glory I felt like I’d let my nation down. Back to the story she’d just been drug tested and positive for steroids, I couldn’t believe it. I carry on driving with the most stunned look on my face. I get to my coach’s house, now I’m balling my eyes out. I couldn’t believe I got the gold medal and annoyed I didn’t get to stand as a gold medalist on the podium.  I listened to a cheater’s national anthem. Well now I know it would have been my national anthem, New Zealand’s national anthem. I’m proud of myself and I bet my home country feel the same.      

Valerie’s coach - Jean-Pierre Egger

I'm training Valerie for shot-put.

I have to train her for the big day because she has got to please New Zealand. I need her to be really strong for the big day. New Zealand wants her to win gold. She wants to please New Zealand. When she is really strong she can push hard. Valerie has won gold before; she will be really disappointed if she does not get gold. She is doing really well; I think she will win for sure. I think she is the best.

I’m so proud of that 27 year old Valerie Adams she has made it so far in her life. Winning for NZ in all the shot-put events she has entered like the commonwealth games two years ago and the Olympics in 2008. She is most likely going to win again. It’s time for the woman’s shot-put finals to begin… it’s time for the champ to have her throw. It went about 21.51 metres, nobody could beat that. Wait! There’s something fishy going on. That ozteucchok or however you say it looks bigger and stronger?! Wait there’s something wrong the champ isn’t the champ any more!!!!????

Valerie is standing on the stage with a silver medal. I am feeling so sad that she has got silver.  We were hoping for gold but I am still proud that she has got silver. It is sad that they cannot hear the New Zealand anthem.  We are still so happy.  It is better than nothing. We are very proud of her. She did the best she can and that is what really counts. But there is something fishy about the person who got gold. I just cannot put my finger on it…

Just before I leave to go back to NZ I notice Ostapchuk looking rather brutal. I remember seeing her face at the Olympics. It had some rather manly features then to. But I thought it was just a trick of the light and turned away.  On the plane going home, I'm thinking about that day. I'd heard that, no I'd seen her 9 weeks before the Olympic Games. She'd thrown 19.58 metres. Valerie threw 21.03 metres in Rome. Ostapchuk flew back and in Minsk she threw 21.58 metres. A two metre improvement in 6 weeks.... I wake up. I had the strangest thoughts over the plane trip. I get off the plane turning my cell phone on. About 2 minutes later it rings. "Hello" I say over the receiver. I listen for a while. I can barely contain my emotions. Ostapchuk cheated. This means that Valerie Adams won the GOLDEN medal. I don't know how I should feel. You know happy that Valerie got gold in the end, but also robbed. New Zealand didn't get their national anthem played at the ceremony.  My other emotions thou were angry that Ostapchuk would sink that low just to be the Olympic Champion. I know that being on the podium is glory and you probably feel on top of the world, but cheating I thought to myself that's not right!  Valerie dropped in this morning. Her emotions were mixed too. I’m so glad that she won, but annoyed that her opponent cheated. But we were both glad that Valerie won the medal. 

NZ Public

When Valerie Adams was training…

We all felt really proud of Valerie Adams when she got into the Olympic Games. All of New Zealand feels proud to have her representing our country. She is working hard to get into that top three and I’ll bet you a million she will. Valerie is a hard working person.  She will never give up. She will always have her head up even if she does not get in that top three. New Zealand will still be so proud.  

We were on the edge of our seats while our proud New Zealander, Valerie Adams put up her throws. My heart was in my mouth and beating like a drum. Would it be good enough? She heaved herself back and spun around while she pushed the big shot put with all her might and power. This was it, all of her training put together. It would win her that Gold medal for her country, if things went the way they were supposed to. At this moment New Zealand Public members were lying back relaxing, she has done it, and she has won Gold. But then Russian shot-putter, Nadzeya Ostapchuuk threw an outstanding throw that was over 1 meter further than Valerie’s! We all sat there, our mouths gaping Valerie must have been devastated. But at least she‘s won us a medal! 

At the Games the Russian was the famous one. Today we found out that she was taking drugs.  Now that she is taking out it means that we have a new Champion. Now the Belarusian has to go back to her country and face them. So New Zealand is still happy and I don’t blame them.  New Zealand just walked away with a gold medal.

Nadzeya Ostapchuck

I am Nadzeya Ostapchuck and I am preparing for the London Olympic 2012. I have been training really hard with my coach. I will be going to London in a few days. I am really excited about going and I hope my hard work will pay off. I’m at the Olympics in London. I have a few more days to train so I can beat that Valerie Adams. I am such a nervous wreck right now. I will do it for my country.

It is almost my event and I have taken some bad stuff for my muscles. I haven’t asked my coach and if he found out he will be very mad at me. I am cheating myself but I know I will definitely win. A gold medal for my country. Oh yeah, they will be so proud of me. If the Olympic Games people drug test me and they find out Valerie Adams will win the gold medal for New Zealand.

So here I am walking up to the mark ready to beat Valerie Adams. I am feeling guilty because I am cheating but knowing this will be a great throw it is sort of good. Here I go… I make that shot put fly through the air and it passed Valerie’s shot. The crowd goes wild. I am happy and sad at the same time. Sad because I have cheated, and happy because I won.                

I am standing on the podium waiting for my medal with Valerie Adams by my side. I’m feeling so guilty because I know that I have taken drugs and cheated. The gold medal is now around my neck I am so proud and guilty at the same time the whole crowd are cheering and then the guy on the loud speaker he says now we will have the Belarusian national anthem…                                                                                                                                                   

I am Nadzeya Ostapchuk. Today I am going back to my country feeling bad and not happy and the whole world knows that I took drugs to win… but the really bad thing is that my coach didn’t know.  He is so mad at me and so is my county. I am so sorry for the world.  I should not have done it and the world is mad at me for what I did.  Now I am known as the cheater that took pills to win the gold medal in shot pot. And Valerie is feeling great and I’m not…

Nadzeya's Coach

Today is training day.  She came and looked fine and ready to go. She did great.  She tried her hardest. She was throwing great throws. She bet her highest score. I was very proud of her. It is coming up to the Olympics and I think that if she keeps at it she could win. I am very proud of all the hard work and all the hours that she put in to the training.

It’s time for the shot put event. She did her first throw and I felt suspicious because she was throwing over 21 m. Everyone was about 1m behind her and I was so confused. Then I knew that something was happening. She came over and I asked her what was happening.  She said she was fine. She was in the box seat; no one was going to get better than over 21m. Her muscles got bigger. Her closet rival Valerie Adams couldn’t get to 21m. I wonder if she was holding back at training. She came over after her 4th throw and I asked her how she was throwing 21m and she said it was her lucky day. Another strange thing, she didn’t throw any foul throws and everyone else threw at least one foul.

I’m so disappointed in Nadzeya. I never thought that a world class athlete would take drugs to try and improve their performance. She would have had a better chance at getting a medal if she didn’t take the drugs because now she has no medal. She was pretty much guaranteed a medal.  Even if it wasn’t gold it still would have been amazing. I don’t know why she didn’t consult me about taking the drugs. I can’t believe I didn’t realise she was taking drugs. I was so shocked when I found out about it. Nadzeya was such a good athlete before she took the drugs. She trained well she was eating well it was near impossible to tell that she was taking the drugs. I was so sad that Nadzeya was the only person who took drugs.        

Belarusian Public views on the events...

Nadzeya Ostapuuck was looking worse and worse as the Olympics were drawing close. Many say the stress was getting to her. Nadzeya was seen training way after hours at the local gym. She doesn’t think she has even a shot a winning, Against Valerie Adams. Her family is so proud of her, I can hear them cheering and boasting about how she is sooo going to win and that Valerie Adams has no chance. As if! I may live in Russia, but I still think Valerie will win, I have seen her throw on the T.V. I am getting slightly suspicious because Nadzeya looks like she is hiding something and she looks surprisingly as if she isn’t worried about her throw but about something else… 

After the shot put we saw Nadzeya Ostapuuck standing on the top of the podium! Wow! Her coach must have been training her a lot for the Olympics! Wow! We are so proud of Nadzeya Ostapuuck! We cannot wait until she scores another gold medal for shot put! Our country is very excited to be bringing a gold medal home! What will her family say! They will be very amazed! Our country cannot wait to celebrate what you have been awarded! We have finally beaten New Zealand! Once and for all!      

We were so proud when we won gold. Hearing our national anthem when we throw 21.3m.  Beating NZ was a big achievement for us.  It is good to get gold in the Olympic Games. To be the best this year is very good.  

OH NO our gold medal shot putter cheated. This news is such a disgrace to our country. There are so many disappointing words to describe our cheater I can’t keep count of how many I have; some of the words I have to describe this are ashamed, angry, disappointed, disgraced, annoyed, let down, disgusted, dishonored, stressed and embarrassed. Nadzeya Ostapuuck has disgusted everyone in our country.  How will her coach forgive her? I wish she did not take those drugs because now we have been disqualified from shot put and our athlete is coming home. I hope she is embarrassed because we are. This Nadzeya Ostapuuck does not deserve any respect from anyone after what she has done. If only she won without taking drugs.  

A wonderful lesson in life today...

Today we had a wonderful lesson in the fairplay honest competition of the Olympics.  As the Belarusian shot-putter was stripped of her Gold Medal New Zealand celebrates Valerie Adams.
Today we got into groups and put ourselves into different roles to reflect on the events.  Following are 6 perspectives - collaboratively written in groups.  We share views of Valerie, her coach, New Zealand Public, Nadzeya Ostapchuck, her coach, and the Belarusian public.  Please let us know what you think of our reflections...