If people look at Daryl “Sammy” Sampaga’s skinny calves, he just hopes that they glance at his T-shirt with block letters and check out his website: osmdhawaii.com.
If people look at Daryl “Sammy” Sampaga’s skinny calves, he just hopes that they glance at his T-shirt with block letters and check out his website: osmdhawaii.com.
He was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which is similar to muscular dystrophy, a condition that affects leg muscles and makes it difficult to walk.
However, Sammy likes to quote his friend Billy Kenoi when overcoming obstacles: “No such thing as no can. Always can. The only thing you gotta figure out is how can. Because always can.”
In fact, Sammy doesn’t just walk around islands, like Lanai, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, to raise awareness and talk to schools, churches and communities, but he also paddles and bikes.
On Sunday, he competed in the relay event at the 3rd annual Hilo Triathlon at James Kealoha Beach Park, finishing the 40-kilometer bike portion and leaving the first and last running parts to teammates Kyle Quilausin and Jaelyn Estabilio.
They went 5:15 to 1:35:55 to 58:19 to finish in 2:39:29 for 12th out of 18 relay teams on a day that started with rough surf, which canceled the 1.5k swim, but later turned into beautiful Hilo weather.
“My goal is to never give up. That’s my motto,” Sammy said. “I want to help all the kids in Hawaii with anti-bully and muscular dystrophy.
“When I was young, I used to fight all the time because I didn’t like to get teased. Baseball was my thing, but in the eighth grade they took away my physical, and I couldn’t play. Then I took up adaptive paddling in 2014.”
Sammy has a strong supporter in his dad Arthur Sampaga, 75, who’s got a comedian’s sense of humor. Ask him to spell his name, and the elder Sampaga gives a classic response.
“Arthur, like King Arthur,” he said. “Daryl worked at Hilo Hospital for 10 years and was 100 percent disabled at 31 years old. They told me at age 40 he should be in a wheel chair. He said, ‘I’m not going to give up.’ He turns 44 in December.”
Like King Arthur, who lives in Waiakea Uka, Sammy shares the same sense of humor.
Before the bike finish line, Sammy relayed word that the paramedics should get ready. He looked like all his energy just evaporated. But he wasn’t concerned about himself.
“I told them to get ready because that bike is $2,000,” Sammy said. “And I rented it.”
His T-shirt has the block letters of O-S-M-D, which stands for Operation Sammy Muscular Dystrophy. The below tagline is “Block out muscle disease, pursue happiness.”
“You would think that he would stop,” Hilo Triathlon assistant race director Bob Wedeman said. “But he finished. That’s the heart of a champion.”
The CMT disease is hereditary and hits home for Sammy, whose mother Beryl and his daughter Keahi, 17, both have it.
More than anything, Sammy is planting seeds of inspiration with each step he takes. Throw in his bike rides and original wheel chair paddle board built by pro surfers Kainoa McGee and Kawika Watt, too.
On the Fourth of July, Sammy participated in the Independence race, a paddle board run from Oahu’s Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay.
He’ll conquer walks on Molokai and Kahoolawe in November. Sammy will also paddle the Molokai channel.
Each big-time disease has its own headliner in Hilo.
For cancer, there’s the Relay for Life walk at Wong Stadium, which will be held on Saturday.
The annual Heart and Stroke Walk is held in March at Liliuokalani Gardens.
For multiple sclerosis, the Hilo MS Walk is held in May at Edith Kanakaole Multipurpose Stadium.
But nobody has brought attention to CMT and muscular dystrophy quite like Sammy, who walks around islands to not only raise awareness, but also to inspire happiness.
“I can understand how my daughter feels because I can relate,” he said. “But that’s why I walk. That’s why my shirt says, ‘Block out muscular dystrophy, pursue happiness.’ That’s why I wear my shirt.”
Meanwhile, Bob Wedeman looked exhausted. His brother and race director Joe Wedemann competed and finished 29th in 2:19:12. He, too, could use a good rest.
The Hilo Triathlon takes months of preparation. But Bob Wedeman found his happiness talking about Sammy and the weather, a favorite topic for him.
“There was a little rain this morning, but it turned into a typical beautiful Hilo day,” he said.
For Sammy, it was a most beautiful day. He planted seeds of inspiration. Hopefully, one day flowers bloom and anyone with CMT will pursue happiness like him.