Running for a cause has been the motto of Aussie Ultra Marathon runner, Samantha Gash. The runner is now all set to embark on a 4,000 km run across India in August.
A multi-faceted personality, Samantha was a corporate lawyer, a keynote presenter, author and a social entrepreneur. The runner was in the city as a member of the Australian delegation for the Australia India Youth Dialogue ( AIYD), which met in Bengaluru recently to promote socio-cultural interaction and foster economic and entrepreneurship opportunities between the two countries.
Samantha has run through some of the most extreme and inhospitable locations on the planet for a cause. She has run 379 km across the Simpson Desert for a domestic programme with “Save the Children”. Her most recent adventure had her running 1,968 km across South Africa in 32 days.
“It is amazing to be in India and I am intrigued by the rich and diverse culture. We lack the intensity of culture you have here,” says Samantha.
On her transition to an ultra marathon runner, Samantha says, “I took up running as a way to connect with nature. It provided me a break from my busy schedule as a corporate lawyer. I wanted to do something for social causes, especially providing access to quality education to under-privileged children around the world and I decided to run and raise awareness and funds for these causes.
She looks forward to the mega marathon run across India, which stretches from Jaisalmer in the West via Delhi, Varanasi, Puri, Darjeeling and finally to Shillong in the North East. “I am also an ambassador of World Vision Me and during this run, I will be visiting 18 centres en route, which are involved in developmental work for education, nutrition, hygiene and other issues. This run will take about 75 days I guess and I plan to do about 50 km a day. It is an immense challenge and a great learning experience,” opines Samantha.
Samantha has been preparing for the Indian run for the past two years. “I need to constantly monitor food and liquid intake and avoid dehydration, and injuries that are a part of ultra marathon run.”
For the run, she will be accompanied by security, support staff and a TV crew to film her epic odyssey. Running is often a lonely business and Samantha has run through some of the world’s most harsh terrains. “I like to test my limits and love being in middle of nowhere, where no one has ever been,” adds Samantha. The nearly 2,000 km run in South Africa was a big test. “I had to climb mountains, run through game reserves, river crossings, which made it tough, but exciting. The first couples of weeks were difficult, but later, it got easier as I was acclimatised to the conditions. The run was worth it as it was for raising funds for African children, who lacked proper schooling”. She explains that she follows an integrated programme for her training as “you have to be physically and mentally strong. The mind is a great a determiner to achieve goals that you set for yourself.”
Samantha, who is from Melbourne, says she hails from a non-sporty family and her father and sister are engineers while her mother is a nurse. “Initially they did not understand what I was doing. Now they are all on board and often accompany me on my expeditions,” beams Samantha, who is also writing a book about “Ultra marathon, why I chose to run and the challenges, goal settings in life and also some advice for the young audience who look for challenges.”
