Australian endurance runner says struggle against poverty in India gave her strength
SHILLONG: Lawyer-turned-athlete Samantha Gash endured the ordeals of a 3,000-km ultra-marathon so that under-privileged children in different parts of India do not run up against adversities and drop out of school.
The runner from Australia said her last visit to India in 2011 transformed her perspective of running for a change. She had run 222 km at an altitude of 6,000 m above the sea level last time.
“It was a 222 km non-stop run in the Leh-Ladakh valley. I was hypothermic, exhausted and said to myself that never again will I do anything that pushes me unless it is for a reason,” she said at a press conference here on Sunday.
Now, Gash has partnered with World Vision to visit different communities the organisation works with across India, to have first-hand knowledge about the challenges they face.
The endurance athlete intends to create a fundraising goal for supporting six education initiatives in Barmer, Jaipur, North West Delhi, Meerut, Kanpur and Puri.
“Education is the cornerstone for someone to make positive choices and opportunities,” she said and added that more than free education, quality and meaningful education is necessary.
On the complications of having access to quality education and the high rate of school dropouts in India, Gash said, “You have to take a holistic approach to the reason why anyone should drop out of school. Schools should be made interesting for children.”
While the diverse culture in India fascinates Gash, the degree of poverty and its impact on children in the country overwhelms her.
“I was intrigued after travelling to India as I find it diverse and culturally rich. I felt like I ran through eight different countries as there are so many dialects.
“Communication was a challenge… Despite that I was overwhelmed by the degree of poverty and its impact on children in getting access to education,” said Gash, who ended her run that started on August 22 in Shillong on November 5.
Gash also visited homes and schools and interacted with people to know and understand their difficulties which, she said, fuelled her “to push the physical and mental barriers”.
“Running for around 3,000 km across the country has been incredibly hard on a physical level. But it is even harder when I see the hardships in India which can be improved with the smallest intervention. But some places are remote where actual resources are not even available,” she said speaking to media persons in the city on Sunday.
The athlete said her run was aimed at examining the barriers in different parts of the country and support World Vision.
When asked about her next plan, she said, “I have no plan other than giving myself the opportunity to think about the project and to raise funds for it.”
Gash, who was ‘amazed’ by the matrilineal society in the State and felt it was a better finish to her 77-day project, is reportedly on another venture, that of writing a book which, however, does not include India.
“I would like to write my second book on India and the journey has been two years in the making. I hope it will make for an interesting read,” said the runner who celebrated her 32nd birthday in Bihar.
On how she felt after the end of the project, Gash, who was scheduled to visit Mawkynrew after the press meet, said, “I am a stronger person now not because of the run but through the people I have met. They have far greater resilience than me.”