Sam Jalloh is one of the most inspirational motivational speakers as he shares his journey of growing up in a country which was consumed by war, Sierra Leona. War began when Sam was a mere 9 years old and lasted for 11 years, by the end of which, he had been exposed to the stuff of nightmares. Now, Sam is the winner of the BBC Inspiration Award and the Queen’s Voluntary Service Award as a testament to his resilience to the many obstacles he has faced throughout his life. He travels the world sharing his incredible journey, coming from a war-torn country to becoming an International Tennis Coach.
Having been born into a world in a country which had one of the highest levels of infant and neo-natal mortality rates, Sam had to fight for his life from the very beginning. Heartbreakingly, three of Sam’s brothers born before him had sadly passed away before they were two years old. When the war began in Sierra Leone Sam was subject to horrors no child, or adult, should ever have to face. When he was 13 Sam found an escape in tennis. This passion was not originally supported by his father, however, who thought tennis was only a sport for ‘rich white people’. Sam persevered with his passion but between the ages of 15-16, Sam was captured by Nigerian soldiers. By a stroke of luck, one of the soldiers who captured Sam was someone he played tennis with. Sam tells the tale of how his friend let him escape but Sam has never had the chance to thank him, having never seen him again.
Sam’s journey to becoming an international tennis player was by no means easy, he tells the tale of how he first had to play tennis with his hands and no shoes because he could not afford either. His dream was to qualify for the Sierra Leone Junior National Tennis Team, and use the allowance money of $250 to feed his family. Sam achieved this dream and more as he became a professional tennis player. He has become highly sought after by media outlets to share his story - one which has been featured on BBC Sport, BBC Africa, BBC World Service TV and radio to name a few. He has also presented two TEDx talks and delivered over one thousand keynote speeches to universities, colleges, schools, and businesses.
It was only due to Sam’s sheer determination and mental resilience to see one more sunrise and to smile at his mum did he manage to stay alive. When he teaches tennis, Sam shares the importance of fortitude with his students to make them realise what they can achieve if they put their minds to it. As an experienced keynote speaker, Sam captures the audience’s attention with his gripping life-or-death stories, and uses his experience to motivate others to strive to achieve their dreams, even when life’s obstacles may seem impossible to overcome. When looking for a truly inspirational speaker, look no further than Sam Jalloh to hire at your next event.
