Samanta Bullock

Samanta Almeida Bullock (born August 14, 1978) is a former wheelchair tennis athlete, model, and entrepreneur from Brazil. She is recognized as the founder of London Represents, a fashion show known for its diversity and inclusivity during London Fashion Week, as acknowledged by the Daily Mail. Bullock has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the United Kingdom by the Disability Power 100 List, published by Shaw Trust, for three consecutive years in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
==Background==
Samanta Almeida Bullock was born in Osório, Brazil, and spent most of her childhood in Capão da Canoa, Rio Grande do Sul. She began her sports career in tennis at the age of nine and ventured into professional modeling at the age of ten. However, at the age of 14, Bullock experienced a life-altering accident involving a firearm, resulting in paralysis. This incident led her to develop a passion for inclusion, which became a driving force in both her sports and modeling careers. Reflecting on the accident in an interview with journalist Lilian Pacce, Bullock expressed the transformative impact it had on her life, stating, "It changes everything for the people around you; we need to learn to adapt and understand how spaces and things related to people with disabilities should be designed. In the fashion industry, for example, everyone told me no at that time. I couldn't be a model in a wheelchair.”
Bullock pursued studies in dentistry and later law, eventually working at the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul and then the Federal Senate in Brasília. During her time at the Federal Senate, she played a role in the development of the Statute of Persons with Disabilities, which is now the Brazilian Inclusion Law.
==Sports==
While working at the Senate, Bullock discovered a wheelchair tennis project that rekindled her passion for sports. She realized that her accident had not diminished her ability in the sport and subsequently became a professional athlete. Bullock achieved the number one ranking in wheelchair tennis in Brazil and was the only South American athlete featured on the International Tennis Federation's list of top players.
As a Paralympic athlete, Bullock competed in three World Championships and won the silver medal in the Parapan-American Games of 2007, held in Rio de Janeiro, in the ParapanAm Doubles category. She played alongside her partner Rejane Cândida.
Bullock serves as an ambassador for Parallel Global and has worked with the International Paralympic Committee as a Proud Paralympian leader, organizing events in various countries, including Kazakhstan, Italy, and Brazil. Additionally, she has been actively involved in social projects through collaborations with the International Tennis Federation, as well as organizations like Motivation and Factory Eleven. Notably, she traveled to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010 to conduct tennis workshops in rehabilitation centers.
In 2012, Bullock participated in the opening ceremony of the London Paralympic Games, captivating the audience with her performance on a 4-meter high sway pole, accompanied by the song "Umbrella" by Barbadian singer Rihanna.
==Fashion==
Building upon her established sports career, Bullock reconnected with the fashion industry through her sponsors in wheelchair tennis. She produced materials such as photos and editorials during competitions, reigniting her modeling career. Bullock walked in her first wheelchair fashion show for a Brazilian jeans brand, marking the beginning of her international career.
After marrying British citizen Mark Bullock, who worked for the International Tennis Federation, Samanta relocated to London and signed a contract with a modeling agency specializing in people with disabilities. From 2009 to 2014, she served as the face of WeAdapt, a clothing brand in Portugal specializing in adaptive clothing for people with disabilities. In 2011, she retired from tennis to focus solely on her fashion career. Her debut in international fashion weeks occurred in 2017 at the London Fashion Week runway, and she subsequently participated in the New York Fashion Week and the Dubai Fashion Week.
==Inclusive Fashion==
Drawing from the challenges she encountered as a wheelchair user, Bullock established her own brand in 2019 called SB Shop, to highlight inclusive fashion. The marketplace focuses on uniting brands and products that prioritize inclusion and sustainability. Additionally, Bullock has participated in various campaigns as a model, including the "Wheelchair Barbie" campaign for The Sun newspaper and Dove's "Real Virtual Beauty"campaign launched in October 2022.
In recognition of her efforts, Bullock was named one of the 100 most influential people with disabilities in the United Kingdom by Shaw Trust for three consecutive years: 2019, 2020 and 2021. Within six months of launching her brand, she received the Focus Brazil UK 2019 award in the fashion category, which celebrates the achievements of Brazilians abroad.
Bullock showcased her brand at the opening of London Fashion Week in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020, she conceived the fashion film "I'mperfection," which features models representing diversity and breaking fashion standards. The film incorporates the song "Dragon" by American singer Lachi and features models from her brand.
Through SB Shop and her social mission of representation, Bullock also founded Bullock Inclusion, a Community Interest Company (CIC) focused on promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities through fashion, sports, and physical activities. One of the main projects launched by the company in June 2020 is the SB Challenge, an extension of the Vogue Challenge inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The SB Challenge aims to promote the representation of people with disabilities and individuals with differences through magazine covers. The challenge has garnered over 600,000 impressions on social media and has been featured in the pages of the British magazine London Runway
In 2022, Bullock, along with other partners, launched London Represents, a sustainable and inclusive fashion show during London Fashion Week, receiving recognition for its commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
==Personal life==
Samanta Almeida Bullock is married to Mark Bullock, a British citizen who worked for the International Tennis Federation from 2001 to 2016. The couple resides in London, United Kingdom.
Category:1978 births
Category:Brazilian people
Category:Wheelchair tennis players
Category:Models