Sam Bramham; paralympian, prankster and now co-host of Sexpo
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Sam Bramham; paralympian, prankster and now co-host of Sexpo

Sam Bramham has achieved a lot in life. He’s been a successful paralympian swimmer (in which he broke the 100m butterfly record at the 2004 Athens Paralympics), a motivational speaker, an author but it’s his pranks on those around him that get Sam smiling of simpler times.

“These are the things I’m probably most proud of,” he jokes, obviously acknowledging his success in the pool and as a public personality. But it’s all part of the parcel, and in Sam’s autobiography, the title uses the three words; pranks, passion and paralympics, and combined they form the basis of his life.

A stint on Big Brother in 2014 shined a light on his humorous ways, as did his joke on the American media when referencing in an interview that his leg was ripped off by a kangaroo when he was a child.

“The other week I did an interview for an American radio station, and the ban was only lifted in 2014,” Sam says. “So they said we’re glad we’ve got you on board but let’s not tell any more porkies, and I was that close to telling another one.”

With his right leg amputated when Sam was about five years old, the prosthetic leg also became a handy tool for his larrikin ways. “[I’d do pranks like] turning the prosthetic around backwards when I was in the shopping aisle with mum,” Sam says, adding there was also a popular prank while riding horses, leaving the leg in the stirrup and pretending it had been removed when he was thrown from the horse.

While Sam may have found a place in humour growing up, his home in the pool was where he felt most at ease. “When I had my leg amputated when I was five, the doctor recommended a non-contact sport and swimming was the obvious go-to,” Sam says. “It’s just a good place to be, the water is euphoric, it’s the only place I can be in and not rely on a piece of machinery to mobilise me.”

His place in the pool led to his career as a paralympic swimmer, of which Sam has only recently taken a break from. With several medals to his name, the step away from the poolside may be a surprise, but as Sam says, once the passion’s gone you can’t force it, “Once the passion’s gone it just became a lot harder,” he adds.

Instead, Sam has found joy in other projects, refurbishing old retro furniture (“I find it really therapeutic, I’m currently working on an old 1920s feng shui coffee table”), writing a second book which this time around will be a work of fiction and taking on co-hosting duties at Sexpo.

The opportunity came through a friend and previous host of the event, empowerment coach Belinda Love, who mentioned the hosting gig to Sam. Not wanting to pass on a great experience, Sam accepted and will co-host alongside Belinda at this year’s event.

“I definitely think sex should be celebrated, not denigrated. We all think about sex whether we like it or not,” Sam says before adding, “It also keeps you out of trouble as well.” Whether those prankster antics will remain off stage is yet to be seen.

Sam Bramham is co-hosting Sexpo alongside Belinda Love.

Written by Amanda Sherring