Sam Quek taken to hospital after finding blood in terrifying ordeal
Sam Quek taken to hospital after finding blood in terrifying ordeal
Sam Quek will line up for the latest edition of Soccer Aid at Manchester United's Old Trafford on Sunday night
Olympian and TV presenter Sam Quek
(Image: Amir Hossain/)
Sam Quek is back on our screen this evening as she laces up her boots for the latest edition of Soccer Aid.
Quek is no stranger to sporting arenas, with the former Olympic gold medallist a decorated star in her own right.
At 36 years of age, the winner with Great Britain's women's hockey team in Rio 2016 has now transitioned smoothly into broadcasting since hanging up her boots. Her portfolio includes Olympic Games, football, NFL and rugby commentary.
Quek is quickly becoming one of the most popular names in sports broadcasting but she has had to put up with a fair bit of flak in her last major sports TV job.
After presenting the Grand National on ITV earlier this year, Quek faced a backlash from racing fans - despite being an ardent racing enthusiast who has owned contenders at prestigious events like the Cheltenham Festival and the 1,000 Guineas.
Responding to critics
Confronting displeasure from certain quarters of the racing fanbase who felt her joining ITV Racing had "ruined" the Grand National and who debated her racing insight, Quek spoke to the Racing Post. In the face of criticism, she described the response as akin to "a bit like hysteria".
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She noted positively: "In every sport I've worked in over the last 10 years, the reception I've been given has always felt quite welcoming.
"So I was surprised by the reaction I got when it was announced I was joining the ITV Racing team for Aintree. I was actually disappointed. My experience of racing to that point had always been so positive, welcoming and inclusive. After the reaction to the ITV announcement, it feels like that has been flipped on its head."
She added: "I started getting tagged on social media and things began to build up. People were asking, 'Why is a hockey player doing racing? What does she know about horses?'
"Later in the day I saw someone joking that if I had gone and negotiated a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, some people would still have said, 'But why was she there?' I've even had people saying I'm not from Liverpool just because I now live on the Wirral.
"I'm not there to replace AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh or Alice Plunkett. I'm there to do the crossover work and, to be honest, I think I'm perfect for that. I want to get across my passion for racing to people who might be watching the biggest race in the world for the first time."
'Jealous' partner
Quek is married to husband Tom.
Tom, the offspring of a wealthy entrepreneur, set out on his own successful business venture, Antona Student Properties, following a generous £1million boost from his father after finishing his studies. He's not only a savvy businessman but also graced television screens in Channel 4's Secret Millionaire.
He and his partner are doting parents to two youngsters, four-year-old Molly and three-year-old Isaac. But their journey to parenthood was marred by profound sorrow before they were blessed with Molly.
After enduring the anguish of a miscarriage at 10 weeks in January 2020, the Olympian chose to wait until she was six months pregnant before sharing the news of her pregnancy with Molly.
Speaking candidly with OK! magazine during an intimate interview and photoshoot, Quek revealed their mixed emotions. "It's a strange one," she reflected. "Obviously it's the happiest moment of our lives so far, but what happened in January took a toll on both of us and we weren't able to speak about it properly."
Their caution during the subsequent pregnancy was tinged with sadness, as Sam explained: "This second pregnancy I've stopped myself getting too excited, which is quite sad. But it made it easier to keep quiet because in the back of your head, you think, 'What if?'"
Quek has spoken candidly about a frightening episode during her pregnancy with Isaac, which led to an emergency caesarean section mere days before her due date. Sharing the details with OK! magazine, the ex-hockey player remembered being startled by contractions and then finding she was bleeding.
"I woke up and felt a bit of a twinge," Quek recounted. "Those twinges gradually grew stronger and stronger and turned into contractions. I'd been having recurring nightmares that if this birth went to a C-section, I was going to haemorrhage. I just felt like something was going to go wrong for this one, I don't know why.
"Naturally, when you're pregnant and see blood, it's never a good sign," she continued. "The consultant said 'just to be safe, we're going to whisk you down for an emergency C-section. We don't want to take the chance that it could be anything sinister, so we would advise getting him out'".
Having gone through surgery with husband Tom alongside her, Quek described the rush of feelings upon meeting her new arrival.
"When his little face popped up over the curtain, it was the realisation that he'd finally got here, was safe and was going to join our family of three to make it four," she said with joy.
Tom, whom Quek considers her "best mate and number one supporter", was acknowledged to have mixed emotions regarding her stint on Strictly Come Dancing, as she revealed he might feel "jealous" of her participation in the show.
Nonetheless, Quek dismissed any concerns over the notorious Strictly curse, making it clear her husband's a great supporter of the dance show.
"My husband is genuinely really excited for me because he knows how much I'm going to enjoy it," Quek expressed at the time. "And I think that's what's really special about our relationship. We are solid, and I can't wait to share this with him.
"He might even be a bit jealous, if I know Tom. He would love to be out there doing it – we're always the couple at a wedding who are the last off the dance floor."
Regarding the performance of sensual dance numbers, Quek confessed: "I'm not sexy. I can't do the sexy eyes, the body language. So I think that will be a challenge to tap into that side of me.
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"If if I try to do it, I'll have to try not to laugh. I was on BBC Breakfast and was trying to show Naga Munchetty my sexy face and he [Tom] texted me, saying, 'Almost.'".
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