Savage Sam - Single Action’s World Champion

by Rachael Andrews
Australian & New Zealand Handgun 12

A young Australian SSAA member has defeated world-renowned shooters at the Single Action World Titles to become the first competitor in history to take the World Champion title out of the United States.

New South Wales shooter Sam Medway was just 12 months out of a debilitating work accident where he lost the use of his hand when he travelled to the US for the championships. ‘Savage Sam’, as he is known while competing, said he refused to believe doctors when they told him he may never get full use of his hand back, and that winning this title was the icing on the cake following hard work in rehabilitation.

“I’m pretty proud. This really is a dream achievement,” he said.

“It’s an international first for the title to leave the United States and it shows that it’s possible and you don’t have to be an almost-professional shooter to make it happen.

“It was something I wanted and didn’t want to let anything stop me...I knew this was my chance and I wasn’t going to let my injury stand in my way.”

The rehabilitation time for Sam was mixed with actually qualifying for the World Titles. The accident nearly severed his left arm, cutting all but one major tendon. But just weeks after having his cast removed, he competed in and won the Australian Single Action National Championships. He then went on to win the Trans Tasman Single Action event and followed this up with the overall New South Wales Male Single Action Champion, alongside his sister Jessie-Lea, who took out the Female Champion title.

      

“I did a lot of work with the physio and a lot of shooting to get myself back to form,” Sam said.

“I had to get movement back. I’ve trained pretty hard all of my life to get to that point and I didn’t want to stop. The setback gave me the incentive to work harder.”

Sam’s competition was held in early June over a full week. It was to be a long week, and Australian competitors start at a disadvantage, as local laws do not allow for the use of a pump-action shotgun, whereas many competitors have access to these at all times.

“There’s a big difference in the level of competition in the United States to Australia,” said Sam.

“At the top level, there’s so many more people and they’re much quicker at shooting than what you see over here. They compete every weekend and they very good at what they do.

“One little slip-up could throw you right out of contention in the United States, whereas in Australia, you might still be in with a chance.”

So, with some obligatory nerves, Sam set about doing what he does well among the world’s best Single Action shooters. His first day of shooting was a clean round and in times he was happy with, and the second day followed suit. While he said there were a few timing issues where he would miss a beat that threatened to derail the campaign, Sam said he pulled through with the goods on the third day with another clean round where he had the rhythm and timing needed to stay on top.

“The first day is obviously the hardest, so I took my time to settle in and settle my nerves,” Sam said. “I knew by the Saturday that I’d made the top 16, but I didn’t know until the announcement, as there was a tight competition within the top three places.”

Sam, 22, grew up on a grazing property 30km south of Cowra in New South Wales, where he learned to shoot at a young age. He didn’t watch a lot of television; hunting was more his kind of recreation, which he did with his father, Brett. In addition to being a hunter, Brett is also an enthusiastic Single Action shooter. At the age of 12, Sam competed in his very first Single Action match and won the Junior Boy category against seasoned junior boys aged 16-plus. This was the first of many wins for Sam and so began his obvious enthusiasm with Single Action shooting. Sam says he would spend most nights training in a farm shed, dry-firing and wearing out firearms, and he would come inside covered in sweat from practising shooting scenarios.

In 2008, Sam, Jessie-Lea and Brett travelled to America to compete. Sam won the Cortez in Colorado, Junior Boys and Overall categories, while Jessie-Lea won the Junior Girls and Ladies Overall. They then attended the World Titles in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Sam won the Speed Rifle event overall - his first World Title. He never took a backward step from then, going on to win the Junior Boy World Title with a clean match and finishing sixth overall out of 1200 shooters. Meanwhile, Jessie-Lea came third in the world in Junior Girls.

The shooting trip continued as the trio travelled to Fredericksburg in Texas, where Sam got to shoot against the new World Champion and won the shoot overall. During this trip, both Sam and Jessie-Lea set world records that still stand; Sam for Speed Shotgun in 2.64 seconds and Speed Scenario. The former event involves a shotgun on a table and hands off the shotgun, then the shooter picks up the shotgun and while loading two cartridges at a time, shoots four shots on a target. The latter event requires 10 shots from both a pistol and a rifle, firing two shots into five targets in a sweeping motion, and a shotgun to knock down four targets. The targets are placed at varying distances, and Sam managed this feat in 14.34 seconds.

In 2011, Sam went back to the US and became the Colorado State Champion. He then went to the World Titles again in Albuquerque, where he unfortunately missed his first two shots of his first stage. Had he not missed these two shots, he would have won the World Championship. He then went on to clean up in the following 11 stages and place 11th overall.

Sam said 2011 was a big learning experience for him and made him determined to succeed in 2013. This drive is now directing his future in shooting - a direction that might include a move to the US.

“I’ve been offered a job over there, so I’m thinking about moving,” Sam said.

“It’s more professional over there and it will come to a point that I’ll need to do this if I want to continue to improve.

“I also want to go back and defend my World Title. It would be good to not let my competitors get so close in score and I would like to beat them a second time, just to prove my skills,” he said.