We'd like to acknowledge that traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast was produced the Gadighl people of the orination. We pay our respects to Elder's past and present. This episode contains discussion of suicide. If this raises any issues for you, support is available through the links and phone numbers in the show notes.
It's twenty thirteen and we're on a family holiday in Thailand with Sam Bloom. Days are spent swimming and relaxing. Sam thinks to herself, it doesn't get much better than this. After a few days, the Blooms decide to head north and check into a new hotel. They excitedly spot a rooftop lookout. Sam leans on a wooden railing, but it has rotted and collapses, causing her to plumit two stories.
She's rushed to hospital and will spend the coming days undergoing multiple surgeries before being medivacked back home to Sydney. It's an anxious weight at hospital, Sam will never walk again. The next few months are filled with intensive rehab and heartbreaking thoughts. Sam doesn't want to be here anymore. When one day, a frail and injured Magpie shows up on the family doorstep. She's black, white and waddles. So Sam's sons name her Penguin. I'm at Middleton and this is Headgame.
In this episode, our penguin saved the well parasurfing champion Sam Bloom. Sam Bloom, welcome to my podcast head Game. Do you know what when I read your story, I recognized it. Then when I realized what unfolded from a negative to I suppose a positive story, it was cat It was quite shocking to me. But can you just take us back to what your family household was like before the incident happened.
Yeah, of course, I've got three boys. Yeah, I mean we live on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, so we grow up. You know, we spent a lot of time at the beach. We spent a lot of time outdoors, super active family. Like I always say, the boys bushwalking, on mountain, biking and just everything. Our whole life was spent outside and you know that was who we were. We had you know, I had a great life. It
was awesome. I absolutely loved my life and I love you know, like if the boys are riding skateboards and always grab the skateboarding ride, U skated with them and you know, and it was funny because we go to this bear Max track quite a lot, and I'd wait till all the parents had left, and then I'd rag one of their bikes and race them so you can get the highest of the jump. So that was kind
of who we were. We was incredibly active. And it's funny because cam my husband, his photographer, and ever since we were young, we've loved traveling and so we wanted to instill our love of travel in the kids. And so it's kind of frustrating because initially we actually wanted to take the kids to Ethiopia and Egypt. That was it because Kamela went to Ethiopia twenty five years ago absolutely loved it. So we're like, yeah, let's say the kids there, you know, show them how magical and how
amazing the people are. And I can't remember how long beforehand, but there was a lot of unrest in Cairo, so that's why we fought no, but not risk it. We don't want to, you know, get injured or hurt in Cairo. So that's why we decided to take them to Thailand. So that was in twenty.
Thirteen, and you tip up there. You're all excited, the kids are excited. What happened when you When you got to Thailand, we flew to.
Pricket, and to be honest, we actually didn't like Pricket. It was too and it was just not our thing. So we started to head north. So we went. We ended up about halfway between Puquet and Bangkok, and we found this really cool hotel on the beach in the
middle of nowhere. So we spent one night there. And then on our second day, we'd been swimming and we'd actually planned to hire bikes and ride up to a fishing village which was about two kilometers away, and so beforehand, one of the kids we'd had breakfast, and then the boys got a juice and one of the kids saw like a staircase going up onto this big flat rooftop, and so we three year we just go up there and check out the view, drink our juices before we
go riding. And so yeah, we went up the stairs and I actually don't have any memory of even going up the stairs. And apparently I leaned on the railing and it had dry rot, but I didn't realize, so I leant for it obviously backwards and fell six meters and yeah, broke my back and sustained numerous other injuries. That was our fourth day of our holiday.
Fourth day of your holiday. Everything's going well. The kids are loving it. You're loving it. The children are up there. Is that correct? So the children do they do? They witness you for six meters onto the ground.
Yeah, they saw, well, a couple of them just saw my feet go over and then they heard the crashing kids. It was like a metal railing and then so yeah, they all ran down and yeah, it was horrific. I mean, I obviously knocked myself out. I freshened my skull, so I was like bleeding from my head and oh, I'd bit through my tongue so there was blood coming out
of my mouth. Yeah. Yeah, I was just lying there unconscious and gurgling because I had a lot of internal bleeding in my lungs and stuff just from the force of falling. So yeah, it was horrible because you know, it's pretty horrific to like run down the stairs and then see your mom like lying unconscious.
Bleeding, especially when you're going from one extreme to the other. You know, you're havingough time of your life and you and then that literally gets flipped upside down from having you know, all smiles, laughing and loving life to life's going to change from this moment onwards.
Yeah, and it split second everything changed. Yeah, So no, it was terrible. So then Cam rolled me over because I landed on my back and that's how I hit my head as well. And then he rolled me over and he saw this massive lump on my back and he started yelling for an ambulance. And yeah, it was horrible. I mean I don't remember it, but it was massive. You know, it would have been horrific for the kids and Cam absolutely.
What was your if you don't mind talking about, what's your first memory of realizing that you'd been in an accident?
Yeah, now, my first memory was probably two days after, and my mum and my sister had come to Thailand to see me, and so at first after the accident, I was taken just to a little reach a hospital and they were trying to stitch up my head and X ray me and they're kind of like, yeah, it's not looking good, and so they put us all in the ambulance and drove us another three hours up to a private hospital.
And you can't remember any of this man.
I don't remember it, no, not one, but I know well I was conscious. Apparently I was saying to Cam, I can't feel my legs, but I don't remember that. And so, yeah, it would have been a couple of days after the accident and I woke up. I remember seeing my mom and sister there and I'm like, what are you guys doing here? And then I remember saying
to Mom, I want to get up. I want to get up because I was strapped to a spider board and I must have had this strap over my chest and I remember saying to Mom, you know it's hurting my boobs. It's hurting my boobs. I want to get up. So then that's all I remember then. And it's funny because my second memory, I was in theater, but I didn't know I was in theater. I had no idea what was going on. And I remember them pulling up
my T shirts. I had this aqua T shirt, was quite a bright T shirt on and I remember them pulling it up and then cut it off, and then I stuck like a central line was something in my neck and that really hurt, and I remember just gripping onto the sheet and then you just see the mask come down, and yeah, that's my next memory. But I had no idea what was going on.
When did the reality of what the hell is going on? When did that kick in? And did you freak out? And what was what was going on? No?
Actually, you know, that's the weirdest thing. I don't actually think I realized that I couldn't walk, mate, not so I got home from Thailand.
So they didn't tell you that you were paralyzed.
No, Well, initially my main focus was actually on my head because I had like subdural extra papotomers, so I liked the most insane headaches and that was kind of all I could think about. And to be honest, I remember that the nurses would often come in and just inject i don't know, some sort of painkiller, and I was pretty out of it a lot of the time. And I remember my best friend she also flew out to Thailand, and yeah, I remember seeing her and bursting
into tears. But then oh, it was just so it's so incredible, like how your your brain can just like just erase. Yeah, yeah, it's incredible.
Yes, phenomenal, isn't it? But when when did the news hit and how long were you in Thailand for before you got flown home?
Well, I was in Thailand for about three weeks.
You in Thailand for three weeks and no one told you that you were paralyzed.
Wow, I know, I know, and it sounds really weird, like thinking back, like how did I not realize? I do remember. So I was in in this big hospital where they operated on me. They flew am or they drove. I don't know how he got down there, A neurosurgent from Bangkok. They got they they took they brought him down to this town called Wahin, which is where I was operated on. So I was there for ten days and then once I was stable en off, they took
me in Nablus after Bangkok. But I don't know. I figured something must have been pretty wrong, because I do remember when I was in Bangkok. I remember saying to camera, I wish I'd died. So I kind of figured something wasn't right.
And do you remember being in that headspace?
Sam?
Do you remember being in this sort of negative headspace? I I wish I'd died. I don't want to be here. Did you want to die? Did you think the best way for me? Yeah you did. Wow.
Yeah, I would rather have been dead, Yeah, because I was just lying there. And yeah, it's funny because I'm pretty sure the doctors in Bangkok told camera I wouldn't be able to walk again, but no one told me, and so I guess in my mind, in a weird way, I was probably thinking, that's fine, I'll get flying back to Australia and I'll be fine. I'll stay in hospital for a little bit and then i'll go home and
I'll be me again. So once I was stable enough, I remember when I was in Bangkok that I was trying to sit me up to make sure I wasn't going to pass out on the plane coming back. And then once once I didn't pass out, yeah, they they organized an Australian doctor and a ty nurse to fly me back home. So yeah, it was just bizarre. So I didn't actually find out I would then walk again
until I got back to Sydney. And then I was met by some ambulance officers at the airport and taken to a Ronald Shore Hospital, which is a major teaching hospital in Sydney, and yeah, take into the spining unit. And then the next day I went down for an MRI, and yeah, I just I was so scared. I'd never had an amma rye before, and I don't know if
you've ever had mine, but they're horrible. And I just remember lying there and they give you that little button, you know, in case you want to get out or whatever, and I just meant within in my head and I had my eyes closed because I was just I was terrified. Don't press the button, don't press the button. Yep, just get through this so you don't have to do it again.
And so I had the MRI and then went back up to the room and luckily my mom was there, and then this young doctor just came in and he's like, oh, I've looked at you, Mr. I'm like, you know, yes, And in the schain he said, like on a scale and moderate say severe. Your injuries are definitely severe. And I asked him will I ever walk again? He was so blunt. He just goes no. And I just remember I was just lying there and I pulled a shot over my head and I burst into tears and that
was it. But he could have just given me even like a little glimmer. I mean, obviously had to tell the truth. You know, yeah, i'd like really badly damaged my spinal cord, but if it's just given me a tiny bit of.
Hope when he said that, when he just Las said, you know, of course I'm never going to walk again. What was your initial thought process?
I used to say with this Sam died in Thailand and dish Shell came back because it was kind of like I've lost my identity, you know before like before the accident, I'd always go mountain biking and surfing and riding skateboards and running, going to gym. That was who I was, you know, that was kind of and I'm playing soccer. Yeah, to strike it on a soccer beach, that was me. Yeah. And then to like lose lose.
The worst outcome, like you said, apart from dead.
As my greatest fear, the greatest fear was to lose my mobility. And yeah, so yeah, I was just like, well, that's my life over.
How did you get through it? And who did you use around you to help you to where you are now?
Well, I didn't have a choice, you know, to be honest, though, if I didn't, if I didn't have the kids, yep, I don't reckon I'd be here.
Wow, honestly, And were you going through that on a daily basis? Oh?
Mate, yeah, yeah, especially when I actually came home from hospital. It was even worse. It that I just felt like thought about that all the time, but I would never do it because I had the kids and Cam and I didn't want to put them through even more stress and more horror. So in my head I was kind of like, will you have to, yeah, just be there
for the kids, And yeah, it was so hard. I remember, like kiss, I used to say, in a pressure injury because when I was in Thailand and they left me on a spinal board for three days, so I had this massive, like this five by six centimeter hole in my sacrum which was necrotic like it was disgusting. So I was essentially on my side. Every two hours, they'd come and flip me from my left to the right to keep me off the sacrum, and I'd be going
down to theater and yeah, it was just horrible. So I just, yeah, I just tried to put on a brave face for the kids. And I don't know, so.
Your children, you're three boys that kept you kept you alive that yeah, got through.
It, like literally, yeah, literally they have.
How long did the process take from you hitting Australia to you then coming home?
Talk about six months? Yeah, hospital, then rehab and yeah, then I came home. So it's funny because everyone I remember when it was my time to come home, and everyone was so excited and I was so nervous. Why because it's so easy when you're in hospital or rehab. You're not the only one you're surrounded by. Everybody else is in the same situation, so everybody gets it. And then you know, and you know you've got the nurses there if you need hand, if you need help. Yeah,
I remember just coming home. That was my That was by far the hardest part.
And did it help you coming home or did you steep further into your depression? Yeah?
No, it made it way worse because when I came home, because I was the only one in the wheel chair and we overlooked the beach, so I used to sit here and I'd stare at my favorite surf spot and would make me so angry. And then I'd look kind of to the west and I could see the National Park where used to go mountain biking all the time, So it was kind of like everything I loved doing was right in my face, but I just couldn't touch it. So yeah, no, and you know, and there was a
lot of mum guilt as well. You know, I came home and I couldn't I couldn't run around after the kids anymore. I couldn't go shopping, and I couldn't clean the house or change like stupid little things. Couldn't change the sheets, do the washing. Yeah, just things like that so damn made it's so much harder.
Do you think being there and doing that over and over again, do you think that that helped you ultimately come out of this or did it just get worse and worse and worse and worse, Because I can imagine the more you sit there and you watch your favorite surfing spot, you watch the mountain biking, you go you want to be there. I want to be there. Then after time do you go, well, actually now I need to adapt, I need to or was it just getting worse and worse and worse.
I'd say it was probably getting worse and worse worse. Okay, funny because when I was in rehab, there was this he was a sport recreational officer. He was amazing and he knew I liked sport and all that before my accident, so he tried so hard to find me something. He take me to wheelchair basketball too, you know, murdible, you.
Know, yeah, murder Wow. I love vertibles. I love vertible.
Yeah yeah, So he take me to all these things and I was like, yeah no, and I remember saying to him maybe I could kayak and he was amazing, so, you know, organized everything. So I came. I was home for two weeks, and then after two weeks I started kayaking and it was just one day a week and it was like fifteen minutes away, just on the lake.
And that to me was awesome because I was out of the wheelchair, just surrounded by nature, back on the water again and I sort of, I mean allously, I didn't feel like my old self, but it was just had a sense of freedom.
It was a little spark there, right, It is like a.
Little spark, yes, yeah, yeah yeah.
And how how long was that after you got home that you decided to do kayaking?
Two weeks after I got home from rehab. Yep, that was my first time kayaking, And yeah, it was this awesome and I was really lucky because I had the most amazing coach. She was just a volunteer and she was just she's this incredible. So we've been she's like best mates now for like eleven years.
Yeah great, And how did how did your husband and your children change around you when you came home? Because I can imagine the change being quite bizarre and quite off putting and offsetting.
It was a bit bizarre, and I did feel, like I said before, there was a lot of guild. But you know, the kids, the kids were just still the kids. They'd still jump off the roof and you know, do crazy things, which was unreal. I didn't want them to be frightened of anything. I wanted them to still keep living the way we would have lived, Like take risks, obviously not two bigger risks, but you know, just be a boy.
Yeah, trip up and get up again, dush yourself off, and away you go.
Yeah exactly. But yeah, I mean they had to grow up pretty quickly. I mean they had to walk themselves to school, and yeah, just do a lot more things on their own. I do remember one time, though, Noah, he's our metal kid, and his serfs, and I remember it was the first summer and he grabbed his surfboard because we lived like two minutes from the beach. He grabbed his board and he looked at me and he goes, I'm just going for surf And he looked at me
and goes, oh, I'm so sorry. Mom. I'm like, oh my God, like, oh my dude, just go down and get like an amazing way and that will make me happy. You know. Yeah, it's like so much guilt and I'm like, no, just go and enjoy yourself.
Like, yeah, did that help you with your recovering the kids acting normal, going out, taking risks and not seeing a huge change in how in their demeanor and how they acted around you.
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, No, they treated me. They treated me like normal. You know, they still bag me out, and you know, it was it was. They were very amazing. Kids are pretty incredible. I think they're a lot more resilient and tougher than adults.
Just got a with it.
I mean I remember sometimes we'd be out shopping and they had come along to help me and I'm like, are you embarrassed, Like I'm in a wheelchair now. They're like, nah, it is our mom, your mom. Yeah, yeah, you're just doing mom. So I was like, yeah, no, there, they're amazing. There was a few nights. I remember one night and that really broke my heart. It was like, I'm Ollie and here's the baby, and he's always been the baby.
He's still late. He's eighteen now and I still gone Bobby and he was seven and I had been home from hospital. I can't remember, maybe a few months and he had gastro and so he was vomiting and he was yelling out to Cam and not to me, and that broke my heart because I'm like, mate, that's my job, you know, I should be the one jumping up out
of bed and helping you while you're sick. And yeah, that was just things like that were really made I just remember lying in bed now I said, tears just dreaming down my cheeks, and they saying, can I hate this? I absolutely hate this. Not be enough even to help your own kids. The things like that were tricky, but on the whole man, the boys just treating me like normal, oh young when I had the accent, like only was seven now I was nine and rooms was ten. They're kind of babies.
And again, like you say, they're so adaptable with that age, aren't they. They're so they're still so innocent as well. And you know, kudos to yourself for not allowing the accident that happened to you and that they witnessed sort of engulf their life of you know, oh no, don't do that. Be careful. You know, there's just like no way. And again, I suppose, like you said, that's what kept you alive as well and kept you active and got you through was was actually being there for the kids
in the best way that you could be. And I suppose that is a super important way because talk about molding their mindset, molding their actions, molding who they are as young children. You know, that could have gone completely the of a way. So your job was not only dealing with yourself, but dealing with that as well in order for them to grow up and be the kids that they are now is absolutely a credit to you. So but talk to me about that moment then. So
you're at home, let's bring Penguin into the equation. So I know you've covered this toy quite a lot, but just take me back to that day if you can, and just talk me through it, because I'm quite fascinated about this. What were you doing? And you know, I just imagine you going, oh, what's that.
Yeah. So I've been home for about three months, and so my middle son, Noah, and I went to my mom's she lives at the next beach. We just went there for lunch and I wasn't driving at the time, so Mum had to drive us home and we went to go get in her car. So it was really windy day, and then Noah just found this little baby magpie that had been blown out of her nest, and she was so tiny, she was maybe a few weeks old, and we thought if we left her there, she would
have died. So, you know, we picked her up and we took her home, and Ah, Mane, she changed everything for us. I loved it. I mean, she was so she was so vulnerable, and she needed so much care, like feeding every two hours. And I think for me, just looking after penguin kind of gave me my confidence back a bit. You know. It's kind of like it wasn't as useless as I thought I was, you know, I mean I thought I was a pretty shitty mom to be honest, like not being able to race around
and look after the kids like I used to. So it was just it was just great having Penguin there, and you know, as you can imagine, she was so adorable and she just bought happiness and it actually took the focus off me. You know, everyone's focus and energy went to Penguin, and I love that. You know. I didn't like all the attention, like, you know, how are you, how you feeling and all that, so they say, no way, Yeah, everything we put all our energy into Penguin was so it was just it was awesome.
How did that relationship flowers show over time?
Oh? I loved it. And she was this because she was on me all the time. She was like on my lap like especial when she was only little because she called fly obviously, and then then she got older she just think on my shoulder or my head.
Yeah.
We spent all day every day like just together.
It was just nice.
I mean, animals are pretty healing and they're just nice to talk to.
I love that.
Man. I used to tell her. I used to tell her everything did everything that was going in my head. I would just tell Penguin and yeah, it's just lovely. Then I judge you.
So why why penguin? Where did the name come from?
I know it's weird isn't it. Well, when we found her, we thought she looked like a baby penguin because she'd lay the really big feet and a fluffy, great chest. I don't know, we just thought she looked like a penguin, so we called her penguin.
So she wouldn't leave your side ultimately.
No, No, she was with me all the time and it was just lovely. It's just lovely to have that company.
Yeah. Did they give you a sense of purpose?
Yes, I guess she did. Yeah, just some mean, you know, I had to look after her. The kids would be at school and then Cain would go to work, so it was just Penguin and I.
Could you relate to the vulnerability of nurturing her, because if you didn't have, she wouldn't have made it. Could you relate with Penguin in that way without probably subliminally Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, no, definitely, because we're both had a full both ejured, we're both looking after and we're both, like you said, very vulnerable. Yeah, so yeah, no, it's yeah, it was kind of cool. So I guess we've not grew up together as such, but just got better together. Like she started to fly and I got stronger and you know, I was kayaking more and going to the gym more, and yeah, we were both kind of moving on.
Yeah, I can see the parallels there, and that's a really really powerful story. And going back to what you said, just it just stuck in my head. The animals are healing, and I suppose you were using Penguin as a healing process.
Definitely. Definitely, yeah, because a lot of people would ask me, They're like, oh, you know, do you go and see anybody, like a therapist or anything. Yeah, not because I was pretty I'm pretty stubborn. But in my mind, I mean, obviously they've worked for a lot of people. But in my mind, I'm like, well, they can't fix me because I'm bricking. So what's the point. So I guess Penguin was my therapist.
Talk to me about your your your transition from from kayaking. So you take up the kayaking. You're pretty serious, right, You're starting to enter some serious competitions and you're representing the country.
Represent Australia. That was really cool. Went to Italy with my coach and when I didn't do very well, but that was cool. Yes. So I was kayaking for a few years and then I missed out on the Paralympics. I remember saying to my coach Gay, going what do I do now? And then so it was about five years after my accident, and it's so funny.
It was this.
I got this letter of this lady and her son is actually a professional surfer, and it was just like I always say, it's like a random act of kindness. And she wrote me it's a beautiful letters saying I know you love surfing, You've grown up surfing. I think you should get back in the ocean. And I was kind okay, So yeah I did. I got a surfboard made up and and I went out and I mean, obviously it's different because I'm lying down now, but yeah, it was just great to get back out.
Adaptive surf boarding. How how does that look? Are you? Are you? You are sort of in the as you would paddle out? Are you sort of in that position on your Okay?
Yes, yeah, Mamma told me I got like bodyboarding, yes essentially, but I write a short board like a normal shortboard. But yeah, like you said, you paddle, paddle, and then I just don't get up.
Yeah, yeah, got you got so taught me back to that first moment that you got on the board. Yeah.
No, the first time was so much fun. It was up on a few beaches up from where we live, and I went out with Noah, who surfs my my name middle sign, and also with Tom Carroll. He's he's in he lives near us and he's an ex world champion as well, like an able bodied world champion. So it was just so much fun. And like, I've known Tom since I was a kid, and he's like he's like a grom like a grommet, Like he gets so excited,
like and he's sixty something now, he's amazing. And so yeah, I went out with Tom and Noah and Tommy was pushing me onto the waves, and yeah, it was just the best feeling. It was the best feeling being able to surf like with Noah and like the kids again, because that's how I remember before I had my accent, I was like, Yep, we'll just keep we'll always travel, we'll all surf together, and that's that is how it will grow up.
Did you feel a sense of freedom again.
Yeah, definitely, definitely. And it's just nice being out in the ocean, you know, just the game, surrounded by the water, because that's how I've grown up and with the kids, with the kids spending all our time at the beach. So no, that that was awesome. And so in twenty eighteen I went in my first competition and it was up the coast and it was just I was up against this other guy who, yeah, he's Barney here was a world champion and so it was this Barnie and
I and yeah, and it was awesome. I got on the Australian team through that competition and yeah, and that year I went to America to compete and for Australia at the World Championships, and yeah, it was amazing. It's you feel so proud to represent your country. And we took our three kids, which was unroun and so they got to as you can imagine, I mean, it was it's a World Championships of adaptive surface. So there are people with all sorts of disabilities, you know, like mane,
there's people missing limbs. Like there's this one guy who we absolutely adore. His name is Jose He's American and he was in Afghanistan and stood on ied and so he lost his legs and an arm, and you know, he he was kind of similar. After his accident, he was in that terrible headspace like I was wish he'd died, you know, kind of same same, same, same, but different. And then he discovered surfing as well, and he's just
the most amazing guy. And the boys met him, fell in love with him, and it was just really great. It was great for them to sort of see that all these people have overcome the most amazing, child like huge challenges in their lives and you know, and they can still have fun and compete, and yeah, it's a really great community to be part of.
I love this story because you've gone from this surfing family to get him back on a surfboard. And you're so humble, Sam, because you have one gold at the twenty eighteen, twenty and twenty and the twenty twenty three World Powered Surfing Championships. And I love it how you just brought that off. You're like, yeah, just serve people. So you went back to being a surfing champion.
Yeah, no, it's pretty cool. I think the first time I won my first Word Championships, that was with the kids there, and I was so, you know, it sounds weird, but I was kind of so proud of what like, you know, all the shit we've been through and all what the kids have had to you know, they see me at my lowest and then to sort of say, yeah, it was shitty what has happened, But you can still
do amazing things. I think what I've learned, it's like, I think like sadness and grief can kind of coexist with happiness, which sounds really weird, but because I mean, I mean, deep down honestly, I'll always be kind of sad and angry, but I'm still happy, if you know what I mean, I can still have fun at and yeah, it just sounds weird.
It's kind of like I suppose it's how you use that sadness and grief. But your positive purpose were your kids and now you know, just being with your children.
I was competing, yeah, and now compete going back to getting on the surfboard and you know, Penguin helping you through the process a champion, and then passing on your knowledge as well and your mindset, which is so so important I think, growing growing older and white and whiser, but it's it's such an important aspect of life to be able to hand over to people, you know.
It's funny because talking about changing your mindset. Yeah, So i'd been competing and I was in this category where I had assistance. They pushed me out and then pushed me onto a wave, so all I had to do was like ride the wave. And so because because I've got quite a bit of hardware like rids and screws in my back, I find I find it really hard to arch out to paddle, and so it was funny. So two years ago, I was in Hawaii competing and two days before the competition they said to me, oh, Sam,
we're going to reclassify you. I was like why, and they're like, because you're looking stronger. I was like seriously, I was like, wait, nothing's changed. And then so I went in and then like no, we're gonna you're not you get no assistance now, and I was like, oh my god. Like two days before the calm, I'm like and I was just like, oh my god. And I'm going to the girls, but I can't puddle, you know. And she's like and then I'm like headspans exactly, and
she's like, well, you don't have a choice. And then she's like she's like, well maybe don't you can just do it for recreation, and I'm just like, oh my god, Like in my head, I'm like, oh, embarrassing, I have to like ring sponsors and go oh sorry, like you know, I can't do it anymore. So I just figured, right, I don't have a choice. I was in Waikiki and I remember that night. I was so nervous and I'm like, oh my god, how embarrassing if I go out there
and don't catch a wave. And then the next day I just figured, we know what, Like, ever since the accident, all I've wanted to do was to surf on my own. And then I figured I'm up against the world champion anyway for America, so I've got nothing to lose and yeah, and I just thought, just go out there and do
your best and have fun. And it was so funny the day of the comp like the day when I was meant to compete, I talked to this American mom and I'm going to the mom and like, Sarah, Sarah's was my competitor, and I'm like, Sarah's pretty good, isn't she. And the mom goes, oh, yeah, she's going to mop the floor with you. I'm just, oh, mate.
That's all I needed thank you so much.
I don't know. And so I went out there just thinking just go out there and may just catch her wave and have fun.
No, you weren't. You were thinking go out there and kick her ass.
I kind of nobody. Who's so funny because she's got a lot more ability than me. She's out there and she's like paddling around, paddling around, and I'm just kind of just waiting there. And yeah, it was funny. I was lucky, man. I got laid two good waves and
I beat her. So that to me, I don't know who's if you change your mindset and don't look at all the negatives and just kind of flip it, then go shit, like you know, yeah, this is going to be way more challenging, but you just kind of work around it and kind of trying to have fun.
Yeah, you've certainly done that. Do you know what? You are the epitome of improvised, adapt and overcome, because you know, we talk about having to improvise and adapt, and you've certainly overcome and going and it's such a positive story. But also the story has been transformed into a major film.
Oh how funny. I know. May we had no intention. Well, you know, we had no intention of starting a book, of writing a book to begin with. It just came. It just came about. It's kind of quite organic. See. That started out as a joke, like when we first found Penguin Chrise. Cam's a photographer and and Cam's taken always a million photos and the boys like, oh, dad, why don't you start an Instagram count? And so we
did and we call it Penguin the Magpie. And then a journalist from Australia saw it so much of in the photos and then he wrote a story and it went a bit crazy. And then that's when publishers were calling Cam going, we want to write a we want to do a book about you guys. Yeah, and we're like what and so yeah, so that's the book came out.
And then she's a producer from Australia happened to be best friends with Naomi, and so Emma gave Naomi our book and yeah, Naomi read it to her kids and just being a mum herself, it really resonated with her and she's like, I want to produce this and make it into a film and play sam I was just like what pretty crazy because it's so funny because we just asked, we're just a normal family, you know, and then yeah, having a film made about us is pretty wild.
That's cool. Let's say it's not as cool as hell that is.
Yeah.
You know who played Cam was Andrew Lincoln. Wow, he's so awesome. He's the loveliest guy ever. And he was so funny. It was so funny, mate because he was here in as in Shah and so he was so paranoid about nailing the Aussie accent and you'd have a dialect coach and yeah, but he did such a great job. So we're very lucky. I mean, Naomi, she's so lovely, souper, down to earth, just yeah, just an amazing person, and says Andy, So yeah, we're super fortunate.
And I love that. Your second book, Heartache Bird Song, What was it like writing that one? You know, having that being your second book and having the mindset and the knowledge that you have now.
No, it was good because essentially the first book is in Cam's voice, so that was calm, essentially telling our story. So it's mostly the first book was mostly just about Penguin and I and me kind of getting into kayaking and kind of finding that purpose. Yeah, and so the second book is kind of more about, in my perspective, might be telling my own story. Yeah, so it's talking about traveling and yeah, many cam and there is there is one story and it's kind of puts well for me.
It puts everything into perspective. He was about my friend and his name was also Aunt and we met in West Africa on an overland expedition and he was you know when you meet someone and you just instantly just become really good mates. So and I was super close. And the truck was going from West Africa to East Africa, and I'd only paid for the West African bit. And then when I was in Bikina Faso, I had all my money stolen, so I couldn't keep going. So I
had to fly back to London and that's cool. And so I was in London for a month and then I went to Morocco with a friend and then went back to London and I was in a hostel and I remember, you know that song by Arim Everybody Hurts yep, So that was on the video Hits or something, and I remember looking down and I saw this. There was a newspaper called TNT and the heading this heading was was man killed by grenade attack, and I'm like, what
the hell? And I picked it up and I read it and it was my friend aunt and he'd been killed in your gander. So I was just like, no way. So in the book, it's sort of like obviously tells his story, but it sort of puts it into perspective because as much as I hate being paralyzed and I hate being it's like a new word chair, I am still grateful that I'm alive. And I'm sure that his family and aunt would do anything to have him alive, even if he was in a wheel chair.
Yeah, And that's, you know, the overall factor of you know, gratitude. It's the small things in life that once you've been through you know, the meal and you've been through these experiences, these extreme experiences, you can really really you know, understand and take hold of and be grateful that that you're still here taking those breaths.
Yeah. Yeah, no, it's true, I know, and I am And yeah, like I said, as much as I hate being paralyzed, I am grateful. I mean, man, we still get to live a great life, still get to travel around the world. And you know, get to see the kids growing up to young men.
So those gold medals as well. Wow, I let's not forget those bad boys. Let's not forget those bad boys. I know.
I've just did three competitions this year, so yeah, right now I'm at the top. So next month, if you I'll become full time WAD.
Champions, hopefully you will be listening. Positive mindset. We are the epitome of positivity. You are the epitome of positivity. Sam Bloom, Thank you ever so much. Good luck, go and get that for Thank you.
Thank you mate, thank you for having me, Thanks.
So much for joining me on Headgame. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss any of our incredible stories, and leave me a review wherever you're listening. I'm Aunt Middleton. Catch you again next time.