A 40-strong team will battle mud, water and more than 20 obstacles at a 15km Tough Mudder this month in memory of Isle of Wight mum Zoe Panayi.
Friends, family, colleagues and supporters will head to London on Sunday 20th September for the gruelling challenge, raising funds for Mountbatten and awareness of Zoe’s Law.
Zoe died from melanoma in May 2020 at just 26 years old, leaving behind her 2 young sons.
Her death inspired Zoe’s Law, a campaign focused on melanoma awareness, prevention and early detection in the hope of helping other families avoid a similar loss.
Zoe’s brother, Island businessman and Mountbatten trustee Charlie Panayi, will be among those taking on the Tough Mudder.
He said:
“Seeing 40 people willing to stand on that start line and take on 15km and more than 20 obstacles in Zoe’s memory is quite incredible.
Article continues below this advertisement “Every person wearing the Zoe’s Law shirt, talking about why they are doing it, sharing the fundraising page or telling somebody Zoe’s story helps us reach people we otherwise wouldn’t.
“We can’t change what happened to her, but together we can keep her memory alive, raise awareness of melanoma and hopefully help other people while supporting the incredible work Mountbatten does for our community.
“I think there will be a pretty special feeling when all 40 of us cross that finish line.”
Yasmin Jessica Lee, who is also taking part, said:
“This is one of the hardest and most challenging things some of us have ever faced, but we’re determined to push ourselves and do it in Zoe’s memory.
“Every single bit of support and every sponsorship, no matter how big or small, goes a long way and means so much to us.”
The team has already raised £570 towards its £1,300 target, with 100% of donations going directly to Mountbatten and everyone taking part covering their own entry fees and costs.
More than £25,000 is needed every day to keep Mountbatten’s services running, with only around a third of that coming from the NHS.
The Tough Mudder is the latest in a series of challenges being undertaken to keep Zoe’s story in the spotlight.
Charlie recently completed a 100km, 6-day trek through the Colombian jungle, having already climbed Puig Campana in Spain, completed Walk the Wight, summited Bobotov Kuk in Montenegro and completed the Welsh 3000s.
A bungee jump and Brighton i360 Sky Walk are also planned, ahead of an attempt to summit Aconcagua in January 2027.
