The Rotorua para athlete Lisa Adams was unable to do much training during the Covid-19 lockdown, but she never let that get her down.
Photo: Photosport
The 29 year old admits her mind still feels as strong as it did pre-lockdown, but unfortunately her body doesn't.
Adams, the 2019 World Para Athletics shot put champion, is finally getting stuck into some hard work and being a part of the Athletics New Zealand training camp in Hawke's Bay.
She, like many others, was preparing for Tokyo Games this year, before they were postponed til 2021.
Adams would usually train at a public gym in Rotorua one week and then travel to Auckland to be with her coach and sister, Dame Valerie Adams, the next week.
However during lockdown that all changed and she was challenged by having no training equipment at home.
"I don't have a set-up at home so I was just doing a lot of bodyweight stuff, I didn't do any lifting or throwing."
"My coach gave me a whole new programme to suit my lockdown situation and it involved remaining fit but I was unable to maintain my muscle."
"I was able to do some online classes for my fitness and I was able to run around outside with my son which was great."
That's why she's probably enjoying being with other New Zealand athletes at the camp.
"I lost the muscle during lockdown so mentally I was where I was back in March, but physically I'm not there, so that was a bit of a wake-up call."
"But I love training and getting physical and it's great being here getting good quality training again."
Adams has Cerebral Palsy, which is a physical disability that affects movement and posture.
She only took up the shot put in 2017 and two years later won gold with a world record throw at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.
Adams remained positive through Covid isolation.
"The sooner we were able to accept it was out of our control and not sit around and waste our time thinking this sucks, we were able to adapt and be a bit resilient about it."
"With no competition scheduled I'm just trying to make sure I'm as physically ready as I can be, so you just have to have the motivation to carry on and keep doing what you love."
"There are tough days of course but with the current situation in the world, it doesn't change the goals in the future."
Adams is a carded athlete and so receives an allocation of resources and/or funding to support her and her coach.
She remains firmly fixed on competing at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo next year, "it gives me some extra time to train so its a win as far as I'm concerned."
