Having trained in martial arts since he was 4, Samuel was 6 when he won an Australian Karate champs, and 10 when he represented NZ in Karate in Japan. After swapping to Judo, Samuel won a gold medal at the 2015 NZ nationals, was nominated for a sportsperson award and still finds time to help train other talented upcomers. Just 15, Samuel was selected to represent NZ at the Oceania Judo Champs in Canberra which this Grant helped him attend. This proved a hugely successful campaign for Sam, placing second in his 55kg category.