Having taken up basketball at the age of 8, Sam Richards take us on a journey she spent over 20 years working on to achieve her dream of competing for Australia at the Olympics.
From humbles beginnings as a junior at Nunawading to honing her skills with coaches such as Mike Kelly and Brett Brown as Sam paved her way into the Junior national teams and a WNBL career in 1998 and won WNBL titles in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.
Richards made her senior national debut in 2007, playing in the team that won the Oceania Championship. Having played in Poland in 2008 where Sam looked to improve her game and adapt to the European game as she tirelessly focused on her olympic dream, and being Sam was selected to compete at the 2010 World Championships where Australia finished fifth, this along with Richards’ 2011-2012 WNBL form saw her finally selected for an Olympic team at the age of 29.
Having nearly had her dream ripped away due to a calf strain, Sam and the Opals eventually lined up against Russia, Richards and the Aussies came out on top 83-74 to continue the Opals’ strong Olympic record with a bronze medal in the London Olympics and achieving her lifelong dream.
What a journey filled with so many twists and turns, Sam's ability to endure set backs and injuries is a testament to her resilience, professionalism and hunger to be the best she can be is a story to inspire us all.
