Happy Birthday to Weather Anchor Sam Champion

Samuel Champion was born today, August 13, in 1961. He is an American weather anchor who is best known for his combined 25-year career on the ABC flagship station WABC-TV and Good Morning America. He formerly co-anchored AMHQ: America's Morning Headquarters and 23.5 Degrees With Sam Champion on The Weather Channel.

After December 4, 2013, his final day with ABC, he became the managing editor of The Weather Channel, beginning on January 1, 2014. Champion also appeared on the Today show on NBC. He left NBC and the Weather Channel in 2016. On February 17, 2018, he returned to ABC, as a fill-in weather forecaster on the weekend edition of Good Morning America.

Champion was born in Paducah, Kentucky. He graduated from Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia in 1979. He has a B.A. in broadcast news from Eastern Kentucky University, and interned at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky.

Champion worked at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, and WJKS (later WCWJ) in Jacksonville, Florida. He became a weather forecaster for WABC-TV's Eyewitness News in New York City in 1988. He went on Good Morning America in 2004. On April 7, 2008 he debuted as host of Sea Rescue, an educational and informational program in Litton's Weekend Adventure that focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation, and in many instances release of animals back into wildlife.

Champion is active in many charitable organizations in the New York City area. He was the Grand Marshal of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Fall Bike Tour, the chairman of the 25th annual March of Dimes NYC WalkAmerica, and master of ceremonies of "Stopping AIDS Together," a part of Sunday by the Bay. He hosted the New York City Project's 2002 "Courage Awards," along with movie critic Frank DeCaro.

Champion had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his skin in May 2010 while on air, after previous bouts with the disease. He said he wanted to raise awareness about skin cancer during Cancer Awareness Month.

Champion and his partner of several years, Rubem Robierb, were married on December 21, 2012.

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