Photography: Matt Klitscher.
From the outside, international model and former Miss New Zealand Samantha “Sammi” Poole is the picture of confidence, unafraid toput herself in front of cro wds and cameras. But she admits she didn’t always possess this kind of self-assurance. After she was diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) at 13, she wore a back brace every day during her formative teen years. Feeling different from her peers took a heavy toll on her body image.
“It was very hard,” the 23-year-old shares.
“It was during a time when you’re changing anyway and it just made me analyse my body even more at such a young age. It messed with me a lot.”
It was only made harder as the very active kid gave up her passions, fearing they’d make her condition worse.
Losing confidence on the sidelines
“I loved sports – I was an acrobat and a netball player,” she tells.
“I stopped all of that because I was so afraid of my scoliosis.”
It was through modelling that Sammi learned to love herself again.
“I did my first photoshoot and found my confidence,” she smiles.
“Where I am now, I love myself and I love my body, but it took me a very long time to get here. It was a hard path to take.”
Proving herself on Celebrity Treasure Island
When the opportunity came up to compete on the new season of Celebrity Treasure Island – which returns to TVNZ 2 this month – she saw it as a chance to prove once and for all that scoliosis won’t keep her down.
“I’ve only recently started getting into fitness and becoming strong again,” she says.
“This is the best way for me to prove to myself that I’m capable of anything. I’m very excited to see if I prove myself right.”
Competing for a cause close to her heart
Her fight for the $100,000 prize pool is extra personal, as she is competing for her own charity, Anni Bloom, which aims to raise awareness of scoliosis and support teens struggling with body-image issues. Sammi says her greatest assets will be her resilience and stubbornness.
She laughs, “I grew up with two brothers, so I will fight for what I want.”
But, she adds, that doesn’t mean she’s willing to stab anyone in the back.
“I am now friends with my whole team, so I will be cheering for them the whole way. Even if I am eliminated, I want one of them to win.”
The biggest mental challenge
While sleeping in the elements and tackling gruelling physical challenges will be difficult, Sammi admits the biggest test will be accepting uncertainty. Two years ago, as she returned home from a trip
to Bali to visit her brothers, she experienced her first- ever anxiety attack.
“When it was happening, I didn’t know what was wrong,” she tells.
“I thought I was having a heart attack.”
A difficult and uncertain period
For the next six months, she experienced them constantly but didn’t know the triggers.
“It was a very hard time,” she admits.
“I hit a low point in my life. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Through months of work, she discovered that one of her major stressors was uncertainty. She says even travelling to compete on CTI tested her “control freak” nature.
The need for control
“When I can’t control something, it triggers it all,” Sammi explains.
“During this, we don’t get told where we’re going. I just hopped on a plane. Do you know how out of control you feel? So it’s the best way for me to push myself.”
While having a panic attack on the show is a possibility, she knows she’ll be able to handle it.
“Even if I do, I’m at the point now where I can manage them.”
A bond built on resilience
Throughout the challenges in her life, Sammi credits her mum Denise as her rock. Sammi was 15 when Denise, a single mum, moved her young family from Pretoria, South Africa, to Whangārei to build a better life for her children. They have been a tight-knit unit ever since.
“We’re a team,” Sammi enthuses.
“It was hard, but she made the most of it and I’m so thankful to her every day. It’s the only reason I have all these opportunities.”
These days, the family is scattered around the world. Sammi often travels for modelling work and her brothers both live in Thailand, but they still make space each week for quality time together.
Sammi shares, “Every Sunday, we still have family online games days. We play all sorts of things and we try to teach them to my mum, which is a laugh.”
Celebrity Treasure Island premieres Monday, April 27 at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2.
