This past weekend (31 August – 1 September), a team from Blue Matter took part in the South Coast Challenge to help raise money for cancer research. Zeren Kocak, Linah Richer, Anwen Brown, Nafees Masri, Mariah Peixoto, and Magda Palczynska put on their hiking shoes and hit the trail to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, a leading charity dedicated to saving lives through research. We wrote about this team and their efforts in a previous post, and we wanted to give you an update.
To make a long story short: They made it, raising nearly £3,000 along the way to help fight cancer!
During the South Coast Challenge, our team hiked along the South Downs Way through some of the most iconic scenery on Britain’s south coast. There were different distance options for the Challenge (25 km, 50 km, and 100 km). Two of our team members—Zeren Kocak and Linah Richer—opted for the most difficult route, 100 km (62 miles).
Zeren and Linah finished the entire 100 km route in 26 and 23 hours respectively, despite annoying blisters and limited rest. Nevertheless, the team persevered and all members met their goals.
After the event, Zeren had this to say, “Would I do it again? Absolutely. I can’t describe the high spirit of being with hundreds of likeminded people, each with their own story of turning struggle into strength…” Each of those hundreds of people were raising money for some worthy cause, whether it be cancer research, mental health programs and research, special needs schools, or some other need.
Congratulations to Zeren, Linah, Anwen, Nafees, Mariah, and Magda! And thanks to the Blue Matter team for all the moral support (and matching funds) along the way!
