Meet the apprentice who’s running 100km... in a day

Third-year EGT apprentice Samson Swift is preparing to take on a challenge most people would struggle to comprehend: running 100 kilometres in a single day.

Together with Zac Carlino, Samson has created MindTheHundred, a 100km ultramarathon around the Swan River in support of the Black Dog Institute.

For Samson, the run is about much more than endurance. It is about mental health, starting difficult conversations, and showing other young people, particularly young men in trades, that there is strength in speaking up.
 
We spoke with Samson about his apprenticeship, the reason behind the run, and what he hopes people take away from it.

EGT: First up, can you tell us who you are, what stage you’re at in your apprenticeship, and what kind of work you’re doing day to day?
 

SS: My name is Samson Swift, and I’m a third-year apprentice.
 
I’ve been working in the industrial electrical industry for the past three years, manufacturing switchrooms and switchboards for Mayfield Industries.
 
 
EGT: Running 100km in a day is a huge challenge. What made you decide this was the way you wanted to raise awareness for mental health?
 
SS: It actually started the other way around.
 
Zac and I both wanted to take part in a 100km run because we’ve both found a real love for endurance sports. Then we thought, why don’t we do it for something bigger than us?
 
That’s where the whole idea came from. We wanted to turn our endurance into awareness.
 
 
EGT: The fundraiser talks about running “for the people who fight battles no one else can see.” What does that idea mean to you personally?
 
SS: I’ve had quite a few problems with my own mental health in the past, and so has Zac. But no one would have known that.
 
We managed to get through those struggles by using training as something positive. Unfortunately, not everyone can do that. Those are the people we’re doing this for: the people who don’t know how to talk about it yet. The people who are struggling but don’t know how to reach out.
 
 
EGT: Why did you choose to support the Black Dog Institute?
 
SS: We chose to support the Black Dog Institute because they are an Australia-wide organisation, and we really love the work they do for Australian people.
 
It’s a privilege to be working alongside them.
 
 
EGT: Have you had any personal experiences that made mental health something you wanted to speak up about?
 
SS: Yes. I lost a family member to suicide when I was 15.
 
That made me realise people really do struggle, and you might never know. It could be your closest mate, and you still might not know what they’re going through.
 
Sometimes you just have to ask the question: “Hey man, are you okay?”
 
 
EGT: How have you been preparing for the run, physically and mentally, while also managing your apprenticeship?
 
SS: I had to cut my hours down.
 
I was doing 12-hour days, six days a week, and trying to train on top of that was cooking me physically and mentally.
 
Now I’m doing my 38 hours, getting eight hours of sleep a night, and getting all my training in. The money has gone down a lot, but it’s worth it because I’m able to stay mentally healthy, and that’s the most important thing.
 
 
EGT: What does a normal training week look like when you’re getting ready to run 100km?
 
SS: Because I’m training for both an Ironman and this 100km run, it has been pretty difficult.
 
Most weeks are around 18 hours of training. That usually includes five runs, four rides, three swims and three gym sessions.

 
EGT: In an ultra-distance event, there will almost certainly be difficult moments. What do you think will keep you moving when your body is telling you to stop?
 
SS: I want people to know that when things are mentally tough, they just need to keep going. I want to show people that if I can push through physically hard challenges, they can push through mentally hard challenges. I always tell myself “It only rains for so long before there is sunshine.”
 
 
EGT: Mental health can be hard for young men and people in trades to talk about. What would you say to someone who is struggling but doesn’t know how to start that conversation?
 
SS: I think people need to know that speaking up, or asking for help, is not weakness. A lot of blokes in the trade don’t want to talk about their problems, but that’s the problem. They need to know that people do care.
 
I’d rather have a mate cry on my shoulder than lose them.
 
Suicide rates are so high, and part of that is because people feel like they can’t speak up. But there is always someone who wants to listen.
 
 
EGT: When you cross the finish line, what do you hope this run has achieved beyond the kilometres and the fundraising total?
 
SS: I hope it makes people realise that other people do care.
 
I hope it shows other young men that they can do hard things. If I can push through physical and mental pain, they can push through mentally hard times too.
 
And if they need someone to talk to, there is always someone who wants to listen.
 

A run bigger than the finish line

For Samson, the 100km challenge is not just a test of fitness. It is a message to others who may be struggling quietly: keep going, speak up, and know that help is there.
 
Through MindTheHundred, Samson and Zac are using endurance to create awareness, raise funds, and encourage conversations that could make a real difference.

If this story raises anything for you, Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14. If life is in danger, call 000.