Emma Deicke, 24, had just been crowned Miss Rodeo Australia 2017 when bull rider Sam O'Connor, 28, reached out to her. Despite initial reluctance due to her busy travel schedule, she agreed to meet him and they quickly formed a deep bond. 'We instantly clicked, like two people that were really meant to be,' she said.
On New Year's Eve, the couple faced a devastating turn of events at a Professional Bull Riders event in Rockhampton. Sam was thrown from a bull and landed in a scorpion position, with the bull then scraping over him and breaking his back. 'He was completely awake throughout the whole thing,' Emma recalled.
Sam was released from hospital on April 20, their one-year anniversary, and is now undergoing physiotherapy on the Gold Coast, currently using a wheelchair. Emma accompanies him to daily training sessions, sharing their workouts on social media. 'Sam and I are 100 per cent positive he will walk again,' she said.
Emma dismisses praise for her support, stating she is simply following her life's path. 'I didn't fall in love with him because he could ride a bull or fix a fence or walk! I fell in love with him,' she explained, emphasising their unwavering commitment to each other.
