The life story of Paul Sampson is well documented. As a young child he was homeless, drifting along the coast of Muizenberg with his mother, who worked as a car guard to provide food and a blanket. He had no roof to protect him from the biting winter air or the dehydrating rays of the summer sun. In SuperSport’s “Real World Champions” series, Sampson tells his story in a manner which explains his journey. It’s a must-watch, writes MARK LEMKE.
I went to meet with the 25-year-old before his participation in the middle-rounds of the City Surf Series at Kommetjie’s Long Beach, a competition which provides the opportunity to qualify for the 2025 WSL Challenger Series.
Often athletes require solitude to get into the right competitive mindset, but Sampson initiated the discussion with a warm smile as I arrived for the pre-arranged interview. The questions flowed: on competing, his life so far, and where he wants to go. What stood out mostly was his vision and commitment to uplifting his community and providing opportunities to children who might need a guiding hand. Just like he received when “uncle” Shafiek Khan found him sitting outside the toilets at Muizenberg Beach, and took him in, feeding him and introducing him to surfing, even if his first wave experience came alongside his own brother at the age of six.
Now, Sampson wants to do similar.
“I have started a surfing programme, African Surf Alliance, for children in my community who may come from a similar background to myself. I have been in the same position as them, so I know that there are so many children who are living in South Africa without much hope of a bright future. The programme is there to teach the kids how to become better people through surfing. We want to help the future of our community to be respectful, well mannered, well-spoken and confident that they can achieve their dreams. Surfing can teach you so much. It has taught me so much.”
Sampson has found great success in competitive surfing with his most recent victory coming in Annise, Ivory Coast, at the Africa Surf Tour in March. The Capetonian views the achievement in west Africa as a collective effort.
“Firstly, I must thank the Lord for His guidance. I would not be where I am today without Him showing me the way. My team deserves the credit too. They push me every day to not only be a better surfer, but a better person. Finally, I want to thank my family and my friends for their support. I am blessed to have these people around me. They make me a better person every day and keep me motivated to achieve more.”
We’re standing on the sand on this breezy Sunday morning, and Sampson is wearing a flannel hoodie, partially covering his short dreadlocks, but gives full attention, despite the potential distractions of sights and sounds elsewhere on the beach.
There is a pause as the announcer drowns out what Sampson is about to say. In this moment I stare out at the ocean, seeing each wave approach and collapse upon the shore, only to be replaced by the next. Sampson’s journey is much like the ocean, and so too is the way he delivers his words, with an ebb and flow.
Throughout life, the Capetonian, who has found his purpose after that difficult, uncertain beginning, has been faced with challenges. In his interview with SuperSport, he said that when he was growing up, he did not know if he would be alive the next day because he could be robbed or freeze from the elements. Life was a game of survival.
Yet not only did he survive, but he thrived, and it took one wave for his life to change. Sampson explains it this way: “My brother was a surfer before me. He told me to try it out. I was only six and afraid of the water, but I gave it a go. Standing up on that board for the first time is a feeling that I have never felt again. It was absolute freedom, complete empowerment, overwhelming excitement. I don’t think I can ever experience that feeling again. Sometimes I have moments that resemble it, like when the waves are just right, and I can just be one with the water, but that first wave brought a feeling that changed my life.”
The ocean is a turbulent environment. It can be calm with gentle waves, or rough with towering waves. Sampson’s life mirrors the sea. Waves of misfortune and circumstance threatened to engulf him, even drown him, but the ever-positive character emerged with a determination to rise above whatever was thrown at him.
Nicknamed “Chow” – “I just love to eat” – Sampson is now an adoring father who loves spending time with his daughter at the beach.
While he has a bright surfing future – it is also now an Olympic sport – Sampson cares deeply about the next generation. He aims to grow his surfing programme and reach more underprivileged children in South Africa with the goal of creating better people and better communities.
The man is proof of the potential that lives within every child in South Africa. He was once a street kid, largely ignored and even treated with disdain by those who walked past. Now he is one of South Africa’s most promising surfers and a man with a dream of leaving a legacy for the next generation to follow.
Looking forward, Sampson will continue to get as far as he can among the top-level of the sport, but is keenly aware of balancing his career with his personal life, and give his daughter a future that once seemed unlikely for him.
Paul “Chow” Sampson is now riding the crest of life’s wave, and he dreams of making an impact that will inspire the next generation to follow him.
Photos: COLIN FITCH/Supplied
