Sam grew up in east Texas, where the idea of joining the circus is only something that happens in fairy tales. With no circus community around him, he only knew of traditional circuses that would occasionally perform in nearby cities. It wasn’t until seeing “La Nouba” by Cirque du Soleil during a family vacation to Walt Disney World that his eyes were opened to the possibilities of modern-day circus. Because of his previous gymnastics and dance training, his mother purchased a water bottle from the gift shop that read: when I grow up, I am going to run away and join the circus. Thinking that this would be a cute keepsake, she had no idea that this would actually become his reality.

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Sam taught himself to juggle with the hopes of one day breaking into the world of circus. After many years of training alone, he yearned to find a circus community in order to better understand the lifestyle. In 2014, his dreams became a reality when he joined Circus Smirkus, an American touring youth circus company. He spent three summers performing around New England and New York discovering his love for the art form and way of life. In 2016, he moved north in order to turn his passion into a career at the National Circus School in Montreal. There, he pushed himself to advance both technically and artistically while developing his fresh and quirky style. Sam graduated from the National Circus School in Montreal in June of 2020 with a specialization in juggling and hoop diving.