Another of the famous Adams sporting dynasty - shot putter Lisa Adams - will attempt to carve out her own corner of the trophy cabinet, when she contests her specialist event at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Younger sister of two-time Olympic shot put champion Dame Val Adams and older sister of NBA basketball star Steven Adams - and one of 18 Adams siblings - Lisa Adams enters the F37 competition as overwhelming favourite - ranked almost two metres ahead of her closest rival with a world record of 15.50m.
Inflicted with cerebral palsy, Adams was spotted playing physical disability rugby league as a member of the NZ men's nines team at the 2018 Rugby League Commonwealth Championships - the first woman to play the code on the world stage.
A few months later, she followed Dame Val into the shot circle and hasn't looked back since, breaking the world record for the first time and winning a world title in 2019.
After taking a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this month, 'Big Sis' has stayed in Tokyo to guide her protégé through her first Paralympics competition, with fellow Kiwi Caitlin Dore also in the eight-strong field.
Adams will also hope to add to New Zealand's medal tally, which stands at one gold and one silver, with Tupou Neiufi winning S8 100m backstroke and Sophie Pascoe finishing second in SB8 100m breaststroke in the pool.
Also in action on Saturday (Sunday NZ time), sprinter Danielle Aitchison makes her Paralympic debut in the T36 200m, entering the heats with the second-fastest seeding time.
After three pool losses, the Wheel Blacks will meet Denmark for seventh/eighth in the wheelchair rugby competition.
Kiwis in action at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday (NZ times) are:
Saturday, August 28
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
2:30pm 7th/8th classification playoff - Wheel Blacks (Mixed) v Denmark
ATHLETICS
10:21pm Women’s Shot Put final - Lisa Adams & Caitlin Dore (F37)
12:26am (Aug 29) Women’s 200m heats - Danielle Aitchison (T36)
Paralympic classifications
Each athlete is given a classification, depending on the severity of their impairment. Here is a brief summary of classifications for the NZ Paralympic team...
ATHLETICS
T36 = Track, cerebral palsy
F37 = Field, cerebral palsy
