Run for change

Australian ultra-marathon runner Samantha Gash is running across India to raise funds for under-privileged children’s education

Melbourne-based lawyer-turned-ultra-marathon runner, Samantha Gash is on a run from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to Mawsynram in Meghalaya, covering 3,800 km in 77 days to raise funds for the education of under-privileged children.

“I took up the sport of running in 2008 as a break from study while completing my law degree at Monash University. That year I competed in the Melbourne Marathon — that experience made me realise that I could push my mind and body beyond what I thought was possible,” explains Samantha and adds, “As a lawyer I thought I could help and bring change in the life of many people but soon realised that the system does not work the way I think. The reach was very limited.”

The 31-year-old soon realised that she could use her marathon running to raise funds to support under-privileged kids through domestic as well as overseas programmes. Her Run India project aims to raise funds to support six World Vision area projects that focus on education in Jaipur, Barmer, Kanpur, North-West Delhi, Hardoi and Paur. She says, “Together with World Vision, I will be raising funds for education initiatives across India that address the barriers to quality education. This is the biggest challenge I have ever undertaken. When you consider the challenges many children face on a daily basis, this is not comparable.”

Earlier, Samantha has ran a distance of 1,968 km across South Africa in 32 days, to raise around $55,000 to fund a Save the Children programme supporting young women to gain access to affordable feminine hygiene products. Talking about her connection with India, Samantha says, “I might have travelled to a lot of places for my runs, but India will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was here, during a 222-km non-stop run in the Himalayas in 2011, that I decided I would run for change.”

She continues, “I was in the Leh-Ladakh region, and I was exhausted and hypothermic. I thought to myself that I would never again push myself that hard unless it was for a reason outside myself. I travelled through India after that for weeks, and that was when I thought I’d like to run across India and connect it to an education programme.”

Originally, Samantha planned to focus only on girl-child education but after visiting the communities where World Vision was working, she broadened her horizon to the education of both boys and girls. “I truly believe this run will make an impact. The project has already raised more than $8,000 even before the run.”

The harsh weather condition and heat are some of the biggest challenges Samantha will face during her 77-day long journey. “I come from an extremely cold climate and the heat of Rajasthan is something I am not used to. My main concern will be to keep myself hydrated,” she points out and adds, “There are a lot of other things also that are being taken into consideration before a run such as logistics and training. For the run, which won’t be a non-stop one since I’ll also visit the six communities on the way, my crew and I will be travelling with a campervan which will be housed with a kitchen too. I’ll eat a combination of Indian food as well as what we will cook in the campervan’s kitchen. It’ll be a shame if I’m running across India and not tasting the local delicacies.”