Sam Willoughby

Sam Willoughby
Personal information
Born (1991-08-15) 15 August 1991
Bedford Park, Australia
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight 87 kg (192 lb)[1]
Team information
Current team Redline Bicycles
Discipline BMX
Role Rider

Sam Willoughby (born 15 August 1991 in Bedford Park, South Australia) is an Australian BMX cyclist also known as 'the BMX bandit'. He competed in the men's BMX at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal on 10 August 2012 behind Māris Štrombergs of Latvia.[2]

Willoughby left his Adelaide home at age 16 with a backpack, a meagre bank account balance and his BMX bike for California. He stayed at the home of fellow cyclists until he earned enough money from winning races to afford a room in a motel. He won the junior BMX title in 2008 and again in 2009. Willoughby advanced into the senior ranks within two years of his arrival. He won his first senior BMX world championship in May 2012, which advanced his ranking to the number one spot in the world. Willoughby supports educating children about bicycle education through the Happiness Cycle.

In 2012, he won the Australian Institute of Sport Junior Athlete of the Year Award.[3]

Willoughby presently lives in San Diego.

September 10, 2016 was declared a tetraplegic after a training run crash at Chula Vista BMX track.

January 1, 2018 stand up on his own legs (with braces) to dance with his new wife Alice Post

March 29, 2018 he rode his BMX bike first time after his crash, still unable to walk.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sam Willoughby". rio2016.com. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "London Olympics: Strombergs defends men's BMX title". Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Dutton, Chris (17 November 2012). "Slingsby shares top gong with Coutts". Canberra Times. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
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