Spotlight: Sam and His Journey Back to the Court
LLS Sixth Form Student Sam Booth
LLS Sixth Form student Sam Booth has made a remarkable recovery after sustaining a cardiac arrest during a basketball game last year.
Sam started playing basketball seven years ago. Since then, it’s become a central part of his identity and his future. Today he plays for Cheshire Phoenix Under 18s, coaches younger players at his local club and has represented Wales in international competitions.
However, last year saw Sam’s life go through a dramatic change.
During a game, Sam went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to Broadgreen Hospital where he stayed for the next month while he began his recovery.
There was an outpouring of support from his friends and teammates.
His rehabilitation involved slow and steady work on rowers and stair machines with the goal of rebuilding basic strength and stamina.
“I was doing rehabilitation using rowers and stair machines just to build up a basic level of muscle,” he explains. “I was back on court after three months.”
Although he was back with his teammates after three months, a remarkable achievement for any athlete, there were still obstacles to overcome.
“Emotionally, I was very nervous when I first got back on the court, because I hadn’t been in that environment for a while,” he says. “It’s opened my eyes to how valuable life is. You take little things for granted, and now I feel like I appreciate life a lot more.”
Despite everything, Sam’s interest in coaching has grown stronger.
“It helps you as well as the kids. It helps you understand other people’s outlook.”
“It lets you have more of an awareness of the world,” he says. “It opens the world a little bit and lets you know how other people are living and how you can help them.”
Next year, Sam hopes to take that outlook even further by studying Sports Coaching Science and Business at the University of Birmingham. He’s a shining example of what it means to be resilient and come back stronger.
