Sam Bloom is Not Done Yet, Are You?

For Sam Bloom, it's hard to deny the power of movement¨C and the freedom it's given her to be active again.

In January 2013, Sam's life changed in an instant when she fell through a rotten balcony during a family holiday in Thailand ¨C suffering devastating injuries that left her paralysed from the waist down and sending her into the darkest period of her life. An intensive rehabilitation period followed, with Sam embarking on a journey to rebuild her confidence and feel empowered to exercise again.

As someone who prided herself on being an active mum to three boys, Sam explains that the catastrophic injuries she sustained were "devastating," and led her to experience a complete loss of identity. So, getting back into movement again became very important, allowing Sam to reclaim who she felt she really was. "It sounds strange, but I missed the old me," Sam says. "Going to the gym and just being active, I found it personally really good for my mental health. I wanted to get a little bit of the old me back."

After seven months in hospital and rehab, Sam found herself with paddle in hand. "I was on the water kayaking and, I loved it," she explains. "I loved the freedom of not being in the wheelchair and being in the water again, surrounded by nature."

Sam, whose story will be familiar to many thanks to her book Penguin Bloom, adapted into a hit film starring Naomi Watts, found a new passion after heading into the water, taking up para canoeing, and going on to represent Australia at the 2015 World Championships.

Sam has since changed (swimming) lanes into para surfing where she's done Australia proud, grabbing gold at both the 2019 and 2020 World Para Surfing Championships.

And Sam is not done yet. Despite already being a two-time Para Surfing Champion, Sam has her sights set on a third gold medal to add to the collection. "That's my goal. I Iike being physically pushed", she laughs.

And while we may not all be faced with extreme adversity, and go on to become sport superstars like Sam, the crux of her message applies to everyone. Namely, that finding exercise you enjoy is really at the heart of feeling good. "Regardless of your size, your weight, your fitness. I think everybody should be involved."

Sam is proud that she has already seen how her story can inspire others to find activity that makes them smile, despite what life has thrown at them. "I like how I have encouraged other people who have faced different challenges to get out there and realise it's possible."

Watch the full conversation between Turia Pitt and Sam Bloom above. For more information on the Not Done Yet initiative, click here.