Her design won a national competition and the prize was having it painted on a wall.
The mural won the top prize in television's What Now competition and yesterday the children programme's film crew was in Kurow filming it being painted on a concrete block wall at the school and community swimming pool.
Sam (11) started the mural, then was joined by What Now presenters Tumehe Rongonui, Selena-Jane Rongonui and Charlie P, and then 14 of her year 6 classmates from the Waitaki Valley School.
The painting of the mural will be screened on the What Now Christmas Special from 8am on December 21, and repeated on Christmas Day. Sam said she saw the contest advertised about a month ago on the programme.
Because she loves swimming - her mother teaches swimming and looks after the Kurow pool - she decided on the water safety theme in a colourful mural with the message of "Be a Water Warrior, Learn to Swim" in a rainbow with the words Dive, Kick, Float and Safety in blue raindrops around it.
"I wanted to brighten up the swimming pool changing area, something colourful on the boring wall," she said.
Sam was watching the programme on November 16, when they read out 10 runner-ups. Her name was not among them.
The phone went and it was What Now, telling her she had won.
Yesterday Sam's parents, Greg and Karen, were at the pool to watch her creation come to life.
