I am so excited about this week’s guest having followed her story (and had her on our ultimate wish list) for many years now. Some of you may already know her, but if not, Sam Bloom is a world champion surfer, adventure traveller, best-selling author, neurology nurse and mother of three boys whose story also became a global hit movie, Penguin Bloom. That heartbreaking story begins in 2013 when Sam was paralysed in a terrifying accident in Thailand when she fell through a rotting balcony and it was the unlikely arrival of a beautiful magpie chick, Penguin, that helped her gruelling recovery back in Australia. The photos captured by her photographer husband, Cameron, were later made into a book written alongside legendary author Bradley Trevor Grieve and then became the basis of Penguin Bloom starring Naomi Watts.

Having pored over Penguin Bloom many times, it was surreal to be able to hear Sam chat so candidly about grief and redefining joy in real time – she is so refreshingly honest about the defining trauma in her life and that the challenges endure everyday. But what I also loved was having the chance to also ask Sam about all the other parts of her life that perhaps don’t relate so much to the story many know her for. I could go on forever but I’ll let Sam tell you the rest herself – this is one of my favourite chats to date and I am so grateful for her time. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

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