Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have been associated with a number of charities which are all dear to your heart, tell us how you have been able to achieve and quench your thirst of giving back to the society through this endeavor of your?
Ms. Samantha Gash:
I have done quite a bit of work with Save the Children in Australia and my project (Freedom Runners –www.freedomrunners.org) with UK ultra runner Mimi Anderson this year is also working with this fabulous global NGO.
My parents provided my sister and I with an incredible education at a small girls school called St Margaret’s. At that school I was often involved in fundraising activities and there was a big focus on learning about the world around us and particularly to communities that weren’t as fortunate as ours.
I guess I feel that there is a duty and responsibility for people who are as lucky as I have been with education, opportunities, gender equality, etc to give back in a way that they can. My way is through attaching my love for ultra marathon running to issues or plights that I care about.
It is a constant learning curve on how to best do that but I believe it is always best to work with others who have a similar viewpoint as you. I might be ok at creating an expedition but without my creative designer Nic Davidson from the Bushy Creative, I would never be able to share my fundraising campaign with the masses.
I collaborate with those who have strengths where I have weaknesses. Jennifer Steinman and Yael Melamede (director and producer of Desert Runners) are two women that are able to share a story better than anyone I know. Fundraising is all about getting people to feel connected to a situation that they find difficult to relate to, and they help me to do this for my fundraising projects
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are an influential woman in the field of ultramarathon running, corporate speaker, qualified lawyer, Inspirational Ambassador for impossible2Possible, Crusader of the League of Extraordinary Women, fundraiser and spokesperson. How you are able to manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional, multi-faceted lifestyle?
Ms. Samantha Gash:
HaHa, thanks for the compliment but at the end of the day I am involved in things that I love to do. When I was younger I did so many things that were completely unrelated to each other. I said to myself that I wanted to expose myself to as many things as possible so I knew where i wanted to focus my time on when I got older.
Over the past few years I have been narrowing down but intensifying where i want to dedicate my time. I knew in the long run that corporate law wasn’t going to be the right profession for me and I now work for a company called REDgum Communications that utilises my experiences , passion and strengths.
I am big fan of setting lofty goals and I am more than lucky to have a boyfriend, parents and a sister that support me in what I do and help pick up the load when my brain is jumbled and all over the place.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career as ultramarathon runner ?
Ms. Samantha Gash:
Ray Zahab (http://rayzahab.com/) and
Jennifer Steinman
(http://www.jennifersteinman.com/).
Ray because he is an example of what I hope to use my running for and for his endless belief in me. Jen for her friendship, wisdom and commitment to helping me put my ideas together.
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