Sam Beckmann

2 Bent Rods

 
Sam Beckmann's passion for fishing runs so deep that she turned it into her life's work, and in doing so she's changed the lives of more than 100,000 people along the way. As the founder of 2 Bent Rods, she's spent two decades running fishing programmes for children, families, schools, and councils, making a skill once passed quietly through generations accessible to everyone. In December 2024, the business celebrated its 20th birthday, a milestone that speaks for itself.

What drives Sam is the moment things click: a child catching their first fish, a family laughing together on the water's edge, a young team member growing in confidence and leadership. Since 2017, 2 Bent Rods has won nearly 25 awards across local, state, and national levels, and Sam is one of only a dozen women selected by Queensland Fisheries to lead the Women in Recreational Fishing Network Qld. She's also the author of children's book Lilly & the Tilly and founder of Enviro Fish Inc., a not-for-profit bringing government, industry, and community together for the betterment of the environment.

Outside of work, Sam is a proud mum and nanny to three little cherubs, and she brings that same warmth into everything she does in the community. When she's not on the water, you'll find her at the pool table, playing darts, or quietly knitting beanies for premature babies in winter. For Sam, community isn't something she talks about. It's something she builds every single day, and that's exactly the spirit she brings to the BNCC.