Opinion: Superhuman Dame Valerie Adams as competitive as ever after biggest challenge of her career - motherhood

It turns out that Dame Valerie Adams is human after all - but by that, I mean in the best way possible.

I've been dealing with the two time Olympic champion since I switched to sports reporting five years ago. She was one of the first athletes I interviewed and right from the beginning she struck me as superhuman.

Someone who knows what she wants, isn't afraid of a whole lot of pain, is unwilling to compromise, and loves to win more than anything. That is, until baby Kimoana came along. 

Let me be clear, she’s still extraordinary, a modern day superwoman. The Mum is dealing with a teething baby and the resulting lack of sleep, she's only been back throwing the shot put for a handful of weeks yet just five months after giving birth she's somehow managed to win her 15th National Title.

Sure, 17.83 metres is a long way off her best but it's the fifth best throw by a woman in the world this year.

She's as competitive as ever, in between throws she was giving herself a pep talk, this wasn't just an exercise in participation.

Every time she walked into the circle, you could see the fire in her eyes and after every throw you could also see the frustration. Frustration at the body that's different to what it used to be, frustration that it's harder than it used to be, frustration that right now she can’t do what for so long has made her a force to be reckoned with.

But do you know what? I watched her walk off the field with the biggest smile on her face, almost like she'd set a world record.

For the first time after a less-than-perfect competition, her daughter was there to remind her that gold medals don't smile back at you and while they won't keep you up at night, they also won't one day call you Mum.

So, while I don’t think Dame Valerie will stop till she's back near her best, I have a feeling that like so many mothers around the globe, no crown in the world will compare to the title Kimoana has given her, one of the most special human titles of all.

Although, perhaps it's her littlest supporter who will truly inspire a superhuman comeback, maybe even a fourth straight Commonwealth Games title just six months after giving birth.