- Paul Sampson, once homeless on the streets of Muizenberg, has risen to compete in international surfing competitions, including the US Open of Surfing.
- His journey from a troubled childhood to becoming a professional surfer has inspired many.
- Sampson now plans to give back to his community by starting a surfing club for young people.
At the tender age of two, Paul Sampson found himself sleeping on the streets of Muizenberg with his car guard mother, never dreaming or thinking that some day he would compete on the international surfing stage.
Fast forward 22 years later, Sampson has just returned from the US Open of Surfing. This was the fourth stop on the World Surf League Challenger Series, held at Huntington Beach in California, United States of America (USA) at the end of July.
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This was his first ever trip out of Africa. In the process, he met many surfing greats, including the 1977 World Champion Shaun Tomson.
“It is crazy to look back at where I am today,” he tells the People’s Post. “While living on the streets, sometimes I just wished that we had a fridge I could open and go to for food.”
Anything possible
On Friday 23 August, Sampson visited Muizenberg Junior School, his former primary school, to share his story and motivate young people.
he shared. “It was emotional to connect with the children and share what I had to go through, pushing my surfing in a professional way.”
His message to the learners: “Anything is possible with hard work and a positive mindset.”
Sampson was exposed to surfing when he and his brother were taken in by local Shafiek Khan. “I was on the streets for a year or two and then someone took me in, uncle Shafiek Khan,” he recalled. “He found me sitting outside the toilets at Muizenberg Beach. At the time, he had a surf programme and taught kids to surf.”
The kindness and compassion of the Khan family extended to dozens of children on the street, says Sampson.
“They took children in, feeding them and teaching them how to surf,” he says.
“He was the first family I stayed with and I consider him as my family, he looked after my brother as well, he is an important factor in my journey.”
As a birthday gift, his older brother took him for a surfing lesson at the age of six.
Sampson commented. “On my first wave he pushed me and I rode the wave all the way to the beach. From that first day, I became interested in surfing.”
All over the world
Commenting on competing at the US Open of Surfing in California, Sampson says he did not get the results he was hoping for.
“I always wanted to go to California, I got the chance to represent my country and a chance to travel.”
The surf in the USA compared to South Africa is very different, he says. “It is not the result I was going for but the trip was good,” adds Sampson. “Just to connect with people and to let the world know who I am was a success for me.”
All the long hours and hard work paid off, he says.
Sampson, who currently lives in Retreat, has just over a month before he packs his bags once again for another trip to his final two events on the 2024 Challenger Series in Portugal and then Brazil.
Once he gets back, Sampson hopes to plough back into his community by starting his own surfing club, the African Surfing Alliance Surf Club.
“I want to help many kids and upcoming young people like myself,” he says. “My purpose is to help and guide, to share my knowledge and journey to motivate as many young people with their dreams.”
