Sam Willoughby

Sam Willoughby (born 15 August 1991 in Bedford Park, South Australia) is an Australian former BMX racing cyclist. He won an Olympic silver medal in 2012. He suffered a career-ending injury in 2016 and has since worked on his own rehabilitation, and as his wife's coach.

Sam Willoughby
Personal information
Born (1991-08-15) 15 August 1991
Bedford Park, Australia
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight87 kg (192 lb)[1]
Team information
Current teamRedline Bicycles
DisciplineBMX (bicycle motocross)
RoleRider
Medal record
Men's BMX racing
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Men's BMX
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 BirminghamMen's Elite
Gold medal – first place 2014 RotterdamMen's Elite

BMX career

Willoughby, also known as 'the BMX bandit', 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 racing 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. Willoughby supports educating children about bicycle education through the Happiness Cycle.

He won his first senior BMX world championship in May 2012, which advanced his ranking to the number one spot in the world. He competed in the men's BMX at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal.[2][3]

In 2012, he won the Australian Institute of Sport Junior Athlete of the Year Award.[4]

Willoughby became engaged to American BMX rider Alise Post in 2015.

In the men's BMX at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Willoughby won his semi-final, but finished sixth in the final.[5]

Post injury

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

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

In January 2019, Willoughby and Post married. Willoughby stood up on his own legs (with braces) to dance with his new wife.

As of 2021, Sam and Alise Willoughby live in Chula Vista, California; and Sam is his wife's coach.[6]

References
  1. "Sam Willoughby". Rio 2016 Olympics. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  2. "London Olympics: Strombergs defends men's BMX title". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  3. "Sam Willoughby". London 2012 Olympics. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012.
  4. Dutton, Chris (17 November 2012). "Slingsby shares top gong with Coutts". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sam Willoughby". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  6. Olympian Sam Willoughby was paralyzed in BMX accident. Now he coaches his wife Alise's quest for gold., USA Today, 14 February 2020


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