Liverpool’s sporting heritage is a story in itself. While many know our city for the legendary Liverpool Football Club and other great sporting achievements, it comes as no surprise that Liverpool has produced countless talented athletes. Today, we’re focusing on Sam Quek, the renowned hockey player and television presenter who successfully combined these two passions. Discover the life story of this Liverpool native at liverpoolka.com.
Childhood and Education
The future sporting star was born in Liverpool in 1988. Her mother is English, and her father is of Singaporean heritage. Sam also has a twin brother.
She attended several schools on the Wirral, including Hillside Primary School, Birkenhead School, and Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. After completing her secondary education, Sam went on to study at Leeds Metropolitan University, where she earned a BSc (Hons) degree in Sport & Exercise Science.
Her journey in hockey began at school. Sam was selected to play for the Wirral at the Merseyside Youth Games and later joined the Mini Panthers, where she was coached by Peter Cartmel.
Sporting Career
Quek’s senior career began as a defender. As early as 2005, she was part of the England U18 team that won a European tournament. Two years later, Sam won gold with the Great Britain team at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Her career continued to flourish while she was at university. She was selected for the Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympic Games and went on to play for England in the Champions Trophy, the World Cup, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where the team secured a silver medal.
Sam was an instrumental part of the England hockey team’s success, culminating in a gold medal win at the 2015 European Championships in London.
There were personal accolades too: Quek was named Player of the Match in the final against the Netherlands. Then, in 2016, she competed in the Rio Olympic Games. As part of Team GB, the Liverpool native won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.
Television and a New Chapter
In 2016, Sam and her husband, Tom Mairs, appeared on the BBC One game show ‘For What It’s Worth’, where the couple won the £2,500 jackpot. She later took part in the sixteenth series of ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’.
Her television work gradually took up more of her time, with appearances on the ITV sports panel show ‘Play to the Whistle’ and a celebrity edition of ‘The Chase’.
Over time, Sam became a presenter on various sports shows, a sports columnist for the Metro newspaper, and even wrote an article for the BBC about women in sport.
In 2019, Quek began presenting the BBC’s flagship football programme, ‘Football Focus’. A few years later, she became a co-presenter on the morning show ‘Olympic Breakfast’. In 2022, the Liverpool native began co-hosting the BBC One daytime show ‘Morning Live’ alongside Gethin Jones.
However, Sam’s presenting work isn’t limited to sport. In 2023, she had the honour of co-hosting the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in her home city of Liverpool. She shared the presenting duties with Ukrainian host Timur Miroshnychenko.
In her personal life, Sam is married to entrepreneur Tom Mairs. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son.
Sam Quek is a celebrated athlete who has successfully built a career not only in sport but also in television. She has combined her passion for both fields to create compelling and successful projects.
We hope you found this article informative and enjoyed learning more about this remarkable Liverpool talent.