You may not know him by name, but you’ll know him by his photo, thanks to it being one of the internet’s most popular memes; a kid with a look of determination on his face, clutching a fistful of sand.
His name? Sammy Griner. The photo? “Success Kid.”
It first hit the internet in 2007 when Griner’s mother, Laney, uploaded it to Flickr. It eventually took on a life of its own, growing in popularity with people adding different tag lines, most of which took advantage of the pure grit on the face of the child.
It became a meme meant to inspire and was used, with license, for multiple campaigns, including one by the US. Government.
The photo also helped the Griner family in other ways.
When Laney Griner’s husband, Justin, needed a kidney transplant in 2015, she started a GoFundMe to raise money for it, though she soon also decided — albeit reluctantly — to add that it’s a kidney transplant for the father of Success Kid. Such a decision made the campaign and the transplant a successful one, raising over $100,000. I’d say the kid lived up to his nickname.
Now, Sammy Griner is 18 years old. His mom took to social media to show a recent photo of him, and while he isn’t mimicking his famous meme, the new photo has been circulating heavily throughout social media.
This isn’t the first time we’re seeing a kid from a meme now all grown up. We’re starting to see this more often, thanks to what was the booming popularity of a new thing called social media during the mid to late 2000’s.
Some other kids have come forth recently who were in famous memes.
Maybe the most famous is “Side-Eyeing Chloe,” whose facial reaction to her sister crying after being told they’re going to Disneyland is unforgettable.
Chloe is on Instagram and will soon be 14 years old. She just started 8th grade. Her sister and co-Star in the video just turned 19.
Dieunerst Collin became famous for his relatable look of shocked incredulity, from a video taken of him in a Popeye’s.
Now, he plays college football for the University of Texas Permian Basin, and is part of a Popeye’s ad campaign related to the meme.
Then there’s “Disaster Girl,” who seemed happy to view a house on fire. Of course, she was smiling for the camera, but Disaster Girl is really Zoe Roth and she is now 23 years old.
No doubt, we will see this happening more frequently in the coming years, and maybe we’ll even get new memes of people reacting to seeing children from old popular memes all grown up. Also, brace yourself for TikTok flashbacks in about 10 years.
