DAKIN Sam

General
MENTAL HEALTH
He has experienced issues with mental health, particularly OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder]. "I have, and at times continue to have, an incredibly hard battle with mental health. I've struggled with severe OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder] and anxiety over the past few years. I've got it good now. Life's bloody epic. I've learnt how to live where my feet are. Learnt to be present and learnt to appreciate the little things in life. After this journey I just felt the need and the want to share some of it. To show to people that we all battle, life can be hard at times but at the end of the day we all go through stuff at one point or another and just because you are a high performing athlete it certainly doesn't mean you are immune to it." (samdakin.co.nz, 14 Dec 2020)

RECRUITMENT COMPANY
In December 2020 he and fellow New Zealand cyclist Callum Saunders set up a recruitment company called Athlete Community Link in Waikato, New Zealand. The business is aimed at helping athletes who have come to the end of their sporting careers. "It's an entire industry that is not utilised. You've got athletes with PhDs, with master's [degrees], with experience, not even a degree but experience travelling around the world, things you learn in races and high-pressure situations." (tvnz.co.nz, 15 Dec 2020)

COFFEE DREAMS
He enjoys making coffee and in the future would like to turn his hobby into a business. "I have ambitions to open a specialist coffee shop and eatery one day so I continue to research that. I make coffee at home and continue trying to perfect that which is something I really enjoy doing, making good coffee for myself and others. It is the one thing we can take on campaign and explore, and it's a real passion for me." (cyclingnewzealand.nz, 08 Jul 2020)