Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: Junior Sports Honour Roll
Sport: Dance Sport
In 2019 the Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame inducted a brother and sister in Jeremy and Amanda Garner into the roll of honour for their success as exponents of Dance Sport. Tonight we will induct a protégé of Jeremy Garners who has Mentored and tutored Sam Brown to become a world class dancer.
Sam grew up in Shepparton and at the age of 7, was taken along to Shepparton Excell dance Centre to watch his older brother Rodney dance. The exercise sparked a yearning in Sam and he decided anything Rodney could do, he could do. Sam loved the activity and set himself to excel at the sport. He was soon having his weekends taken up with practice. At the age of 10 Sam received a rural and regional scholarship from Dance Sport Victoria and since that time has progressed incredibly to win championships at a local, State and Interstate level and International level when he represented Australia at the world championships.
When he was eleven he connected with Berkley Wood from Bendigo who became his dancing partner and helped him to attain the standard that he has achieved. Berkley is still his dance partner today.
In 2013 he won his first Australian Title in the Juvenile section and also won Victorian and Tasmanian championships.
Sam’s love of the sport continued in 2014 and he won seven titles in Victoria and Tasmania. He moved into the Junior competitions and in 2016 & 2017 won sixteen titles to become Tasmanian, East Coast, Victorian and Australian Champion in the disciplines including New Vogue, Latin and open Ballroom dancing.
2018 was a big year when Sam represented Australia at the Junior World Ballroom Championships.
After moving up to the Under 21 section he has won the Victorian Championship along with 2 East Coast titles and an East Coast title in the open section and represented Australia at the World Championships.
He was also his countries representative at the Under 19 years World Ten Dance championships. .
Sam has achieved the highest standard in all age groups he has danced in and is acknowledged by Dancesport Australia and Dancesport Victoria as one of the shining stars of Dancesport in the country. He has the world at his feet and who knows where in the world he will reach his goal.