Kori Sampson, British athlete, model, fitness influencer and mental health advocate, chatted about competing in the reality TV series “Trainer Games,” presented by iFit. The show is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Byron Pulsifer once said: “Imagine, dream, and believe in yourself. With determination and belief, you will be surprised at what you accomplish.” This quote applies to Kori Sampson.
Background on Kori Sampson
Sampson is a London-based coach who has spent the past decade hybrid training, where he has been balancing the demands of running and weightlifting.
He is a lifelong athlete who found his true passion in the gym at age 16. He turned his dedication into a career after finding sobriety, going all-in on fitness around 10 years ago.
Known for pushing boundaries and rejecting conventional wisdom, he proved his endurance by running 100 miles in a single effort.
Background on ‘Trainer Games’
“Trainer Games” is a groundbreaking fitness competition series that takes a group of fitness enthusiasts and finds one unique individual who has the ability to inspire and influence, the one person that has the X-factor to become the next Fitness superstar.
It consists of six episodes where competitors face a series of grueling physical and mental challenges designed to reveal their true character.
The twist in the competition is that it’s not about being the strongest or first over the line- it’s how you get yourself and others over the line that matters the most.
Sampson on his ‘Trainer Games’ experience
On his experience in “Trainer Games,” Sampson shared, “It has been really fun. It has been a long wait for it to come out for the world to see it.
“So yeah, I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for it to come out. Obviously, it was released last week,” he said. “It has been going really well. Everybody that I know that has been watching has been giving us really good feedback.”
“I’ve been getting some great feedback, which is nice to know as well,” he added.
Lessons learned from his ‘Trainer Games’ journey
On the lessons learned from his “Trainer Games” journey, he reflected, “There were a few moments in there where I think I developed a little bit over the process from what you see in the first couple of episodes, but then I took a step back and I reassessed and I was able to push forward.”
“So, I think that really helped,” he admitted.
“I had a bit of a different kind of presumption of how everyone in the show was going to be like… I thought they were going to be super competitive because there was a lot at stake. It wasn’t like that at all, which was a nice relief.”
Sampson on his sobriety journey
On his sobriety journey, he disclosed, “It has been amazing. It has been a journey, definitely. It has been three years, this past September. Ever since I got sober, things have changed so drastically, and so have my career and life in general, really.
“My sobriety was such a crucial, pivotal moment for me,” he underscored.
“Things have changed so drastically with this opportunity, and just my career in general and in my life, really. So yeah, it was, it was such a like crucial pivotal moment like for me,” he added.
The digital age
“I feel like I’ve got like a nice kind of middle ground between where I grew up with dial-up Internet and big old huge computer screens. So, we didn’t have like phones and screens all the time when I was a kid.”
“So I feel like I spent a lot of time outside socializing in real life,” he noted. “Then, I’ve also grown up with technology and I’ve seen it developing. I feel like I have the tools to be able to navigate that really well.”
“Maybe this generation doesn’t have that same path that I’ve had where they’ve had both sides of it. I’ve seen both sides of the coin, and obviously, I can do what I need to do now with the the digital age and my whole career,” he explained.
“My life in general has changed because of that, obviously,” he said. “I went on TV during lockdown, and I used to work on a building site before when I was doing 12-hour days digging holes in the rain in England, and it was so different to what I’m doing now.
“Sometimes, I have to pinch myself a little bit. Obviously, I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am. Just seeing the ‘Trainer Games’ billboard yesterday in Times Square was proof of that,” he acknowledged.
“I wouldn’t have had that opportunity without social media, and in the way that I’ve grown through that,” he admitted. “As long as you use it correctly and you can navigate it well with your mental well-being, then I think it is amazing,” he added.
Men’s mental health
Sampson is a huge supporter of men’s mental health. “I’m massive on that, to be honest,” he said. “I ran 800 kilometers over 10 days across England to raise awareness. I ran from West to East, which was the journey of my life.
“Back then, I hid my mental health struggles, but now I know the importance of sharing that with other people, especially since it can help change their lives for the better, and improve their journeys,” he elaborated.
“This is why I wanted to do the ‘Trainer Games’ show, so that I could be able to reach more people,” he said. “I think men’s mental health is a really important topic.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “The Journey Continues.”
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve been on this huge mental and physical journey, in general,” he said. “Life is forever moving forward, and sometimes, the pace changes, and it is picked up pretty fast. So, I am just trying to navigate it as best as I can.”
Superpower of choice
His superpower of choice would be “superspeed” so that he could be the fastest. “If I could be one superhero, I would be Superman because he has it all,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Sampson said, “Being able to live a life where I am actually fulfilled and be able to help others.”
“Also, having the freedom to do the things that I want to do, and the things that I need to do, and just having peace and enjoying the present moment,” he noted.
“Having that peace is success to me,” he added.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Sampson stated,” Keep watching ‘Trainer Games.’ If you haven’t yet then you’re really behind so you need to to get on it.”
“I want people to get inspiration out of this show. I think that’s the root of a lot of what I do with social media,” he noted.
“So, I get messages all the time from young lads who can relate to me with what they are going through on their own journeys of sobriety or trying to bettering themselves through health and fitness,” Sampson concluded.
To learn more about British athlete, model, fitness influencer and mental health advocate Kori Sampson, follow him on Instagram.
