Sam Willoughby facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 August 1991 Bedford Park, Australia |
| Height | 1.73 m |
| Weight | 87 kg |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Redline Bicycles |
| Discipline | BMX (bicycle motocross) |
| Role | Rider |
Sam Willoughby (born August 15, 1991) is an Australian former BMX racing cyclist. He won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2016, a serious injury ended his racing career. Since then, he has focused on his recovery and coaching his wife.
Contents
Sam's BMX Journey
Sam Willoughby, also known as 'the BMX bandit', started his exciting journey early. When he was just 16, he left his home in Adelaide, Australia. He traveled to California with his BMX bike and not much money. He stayed with other cyclists until he earned enough from racing to get his own place.
Becoming a Champion
Sam quickly showed his talent. He won the junior BMX world title two years in a row, in 2008 and 2009. Within two years of moving to California, he joined the senior ranks. Sam also believes in teaching kids about bike safety. He supports a program called the Happiness Cycle.
In May 2012, Sam won his first senior BMX world championship. This made him the number one ranked BMX rider in the world! Later that year, he competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He won a silver medal in the men's BMX event.
His amazing achievements were recognized in 2012. He won the Junior Athlete of the Year Award from the Australian Institute of Sport.
Olympic Challenges
In 2015, Sam got engaged to Alise Post, who is also a famous American BMX rider.
Sam competed again in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He won his semi-final race, showing great skill. However, in the final race, he finished sixth.
Life After Injury
On September 10, 2016, Sam had a very serious accident. He crashed during a training run at a BMX track. The crash caused a severe spinal cord injury. Doctors said he was a tetraplegic, meaning he had lost the ability to move parts of his body.
Road to Recovery
Despite his injury, Sam showed incredible strength. On March 29, 2018, he rode his BMX bike again for the first time since the crash. He still could not walk, but it was a huge step forward.
In January 2019, Sam and Alise Post got married. In a truly inspiring moment, Sam stood up on his own legs during their wedding. He used special leg braces to dance with his new wife.
As of 2021, Sam and Alise Willoughby live in Chula Vista, California. Sam now uses his knowledge and experience to coach his wife, Alise, in her BMX career.
Images for kids
-
A robot icon, representing a kid-friendly resource.
