Love Wins: Sam Champion & Rubem Robierb

Champion was born in Paducah, Kentucky, to Sylvia and James H. Champion. He has one sibling, sister Teresa. His father, who died October 25, 2010, was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps who served in Vietnam. He graduated from Fairfax High School in Fairfax, VA 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 at a salary in 2012 of $1.5 million per year. On April 7, 2012, 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.

In August 2006, Good Morning America announced Champion would join that show and ABC News, effective September 5, 2006. Champion announced his departure from ABC on December 2, 2013, to become an on-air presence at and managing editor of The Weather Channel. His last day on Good Morning America was December 4, 2013. He was immediately replaced by Ginger Zee.

He has occasionally appeared on Live! with Kelly and Michael, the daily talk show produced by WABC-TV, and CNN‘s Larry King Live. He often begins his 30-second weathercasts by saying, “Let’s get to the boards.” His catchphrase when breaking for weather reports from local ABC stations is, “That’s the weather around the nation. Here’s what you can expect this morning.”

Immediately following his departure from GMA, it was announced that Champion would join The Weather Channel to host his own morning show, titled America’s Morning Headquarters. It debuted on March 17, 2014. In September 2015, it was revealed that Champion would leave AMHQ to serve as a contributor to its primetime programs.

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 cited that he was raising awareness about skin cancer during Cancer Awareness Month.

Champion and his partner of several years, Rubem Robierb, announced on October 5, 2012, that they were engaged. They married on December 21, 2012.

Rubem Robierb was born in the Brazilian state of Maranhão in 1976, which is also the cradle of several Brazilian poets. For many years, Robierb lived between poetry and photography using photos to translate his words into images and make them visual. As time went by, the artist found that he had little time for writing because photography had become the greatest part of his life and work. It suffices to say that Robierb didn’t necessarily stop writing but merely began to write with lights and shapes … not words. Today, Robierb says he believes his pictures are to be read. At the age of 20, Robierb moved to São Paulo, Brazil to become a professional photographer in the advertising industry. Art et Partage Association in Aix en Provence, France, sponsored his first solo show, Brezil Autrement, and a book for his works. In Zurich, Image House Gallery also presented his solo show Brezil Autrement. In Paris, Quadra Gallery presented his series Visages Metis. In Milan, The Brezil-Italy Institute presented his series African Beauty in a solo show.
In Monaco, he participated in the Art Curial Monaco for Fight Aids Foundation. In Sao Paulo, at The Alliance Francaise, he had his solo show Brezil Autrement. Four years ago, Robierb moved to the United States continuing developing his artistic career; now he lives between New York( where he recently showed his Bullet-fly Effect Serie) and Miami, where he has his own studio, and he makes part of the Art Basel scene. In the last three Art Basel seasons he presented the solo shows Eros Thanatos, Show Me the Money and Bullet-fly Effect.
His works are represented in collections and galleries in New York, Miami, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milan, Paris, Monaco and Zurich.