Four-time world para surfing champion and best-selling author Sam Bloom would do anything to go back in time. But she’s learnt how to make the best of a challenging situation.
“I would give everything back just to be me again, all the books, the movie, the world titles, everything,” she said.
Ms Bloom suffered severe damage to her spinal cord that left her paralysed from the chest down when she fell through a rotten balcony railing and crashed six metres onto the concrete below while on holiday in Thailand in 2013.
Her sons were seven, nine and 10 at the time of the accident.
More than 10 years later, the Sydney-based surfer wants to tell other women going through a tough time that it’s OK to ask for help. “Life isn’t always perfect and it’s OK to have a bad day,” she said.
Ms Bloom brought her story of resilience and perseverance to the Newcastle Racecourse’s International Women’s Day event on Friday, March 7
Ms Bloom spoke to a capacity marquee for the Newcastle meeting on Friday, to coincide with International Women’s Day at the weekend. The punter action was muted trackside, as bookies made a minimal trade on the handful of mingling betters, but the social scene was abuzz in the marquee where Ms Bloom held court.
The Newcastle International Women’s Day event featured a three-course lunch, a five-hour beverage package, live entertainment as well as raffles and auctions. Tickets cost $229 a person.
Racecourse CEO Duane Dowell said the day would raise funds for Newcastle not-for-profits, Jenny’s Place and Grow a Star. Mr Dowell said they would aim to raise between $40,000 to $50,000, which would be split between the two charities.
Credit: Newcastle Herald