From Lismore to the Main Drag: Sammy-Jo Johnson is Racing into Life Post-Cricket

How do you follow up a fast-bowling career that saw you win three WBBL titles, a Ruth Preddy Cup and take over 200 wickets across the WBBL and WNCL competitions? For 32-year-old Sammy-Jo Johnson, the answer is utilising your ACA resources to step into the driver’s seat of a Holden Commodore SS VE drag racer.

Sammy-Jo Johnson could have gone either way. Born in Lismore, New South Wales, she was an almost eight-hour drive from Sydney and about 2.5 hours in the car from Brisbane. Growing up in a household with “cricket always on in the summer”, Johnson began idolising Brett Lee. As a kid, she channelled this into bowling against the boys at recess and then bowling against other schools in competition.

“All I ever wanted to do was run in and try and bowl fast,” says Johnson, whose determination became relentless.

She says that her pathway to the women’s professional game was not overly formal until a little later, and her primary focus was on school cricket prior to reaching under-17s, where she emerged upon the New South Wales team radar at Saint Patrick’s Cricket Club and was “earmarked” for another level.

It meant she started flying from Lismore to Sydney for grade cricket with Northern Districts, but soon was corralled by Queensland coaches to consider playing north of the border, and ended up with Brisbane’s Western Suburbs District Cricket Club, based in Graceville.

There, her teammate was Queensland captain Jodie Fields, who commanded the team from behind the stumps. It also helped that Andy Richards, future Brisbane Heat WBBL head coach and Pakistan women’s team assistant coach, quickly saw Johnson’s potential.

“I think it might have only been four or five club games and then I got the call to say, ‘You’re going to make your debut for Queensland’, in November 2011,” says Johnson. “I debuted at Allan Border Field against ACT, and the first game actually ended in a draw, which then was a super over, then the super over was a draw. We won because there was a countback on sixes in the game, and Jess Jonassen had hit a six.”

It was a day Johnson “will never forget” and set up an action-packed career to come.

Sammy-Jo's winning scorecards, impressive bowling figures and healthy trophy cabinets tell a hugely successful story, including 200+ wickets at WNCL and WBBL level, three WBBL titles and a Ruth Preddy Cup.

Johnson enjoyed 10 years with Queensland and four years with New South Wales. Her back-and-forth career between the two states came full circle when she signed off with a WNCL title playing for the latter in a championship win over the former. It was the last match of her WNCL career, and she took two crucial wickets in a storybook ending, at the ground she debuted at in 2011.

“I think everyone knows the titles are outstanding,” says Johnson. “You play to win, you play to be competitive, all of that sort of stuff. Personally, my story, my background, where I’ve come from, even to grow up and leave a small country town and make it to where I made it, that’s a highlight in itself for me.”

However, there were darker days. “I had a fair bit of family stuff going on,” says Johnson. “I lost my dad when I was 19, which was a pretty hard thing to go through with two younger sisters and then my mum trying to raise us. The game saved me from what I could have been. That’s where I go, I could have been anything, doing dumb things.”

Cricket provided friends, direction and a support system for Johnson. “I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am without the support of the ACA, that’s the truth,” she says. “There’s no other way to say it, from mental health support through to financial support, through to guidance around contracting. You’re talking about major, major implications it has on athletes.”

For Johnson, this is the primary thing she wants to pass on to players emerging in the game: know the association and utilise the network it provides. “We’ve got so much access to great support through the ACA,” says Johnson. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve always told our younger players coming through.”

Sammy-Jo has tapped into the ACA’s resources to return to cricket coaching, which she says has been an outstanding platform to give back to the game. On top of this, she also encourages members to “find out more” and “get to know the people behind the scenes”, as they may be able to help in ways you wouldn’t expect.

In Johnson’s case, this came in the shape of an 18,000-kilogram vehicle or two. “Being able to go and get a truck license, that was through the education grants,” says Johnson. “To be able to go and get a job, that’s just a simple thing to make money to put food on the table.” It’s fair to say that it is leading to bigger and bigger things.

“As a forklift mechanic, I’m just working my way through that now,” she says. “I’m continuing to upskill and work my way up through the gradings and hopefully get that qualification as a qualified mechanic sooner rather than later.”

For anyone who follows the mile-a-minute social account of @sammyjojohnson58, they’ll know the most headline-grabbing act of Johnson’s post-career is her drag racing career, which has been a passion she has embraced head-on since retiring from cricket.

“Drag racing is where I’m going to have my competition, my adrenaline rush. Just to get out and try and be as competitive as possible,” she says. “I’m really lucky that I’ve got a good team around me. We’ve got our race team, Dialled In Racing.”

She is a star driver in a six-car team and races in a Holden Commodore SS VE. In June, Johnson competed in the most significant event in the southern hemisphere, the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals, held at Willowbank Raceway. “I’m the only female in my bracket, so I’m doing it for the girls as well,” she says.

“It’s probably taken off a little bit quicker than I thought.”

ACA members who are interested in exploring the career and education support available are encouraged to contact their PDM.