Samuel's first major international competition was the 2017 Shanghai Diamond League, where she finished 10th in the 1500 m with a time of 4:07.41 as a 17 year old.

[2] In 2018, Samuel won her first global title at the 2018 World Junior Championships, in the women's 1500 m. She closed her final 400 metres in 61.04 seconds, enough to win a tactical race and make her the third consecutive Ethiopian winner in that event.

[3][4] Samuel was particularly dominant in the 2019 IAAF World Indoor Tour series, having won the 3000 m races at the Madrid and Birmingham meetings.

[5] In 2021, Samuel started running half marathons.

At the 2021 Barcelona Half Marathon, Samuel finish 5th in a time of 1:08:53.