Sahara Trek 2025: A Journey of Connection, Purpose & Awareness

25 years ago, I opened the doors to my clinic.

I was grieving the loss of my fiancé, Les, to cancer - a heartbreak that would shape the path of my life and the work I went on to do.

This year, on the very same date - November 8th, I set off across the Sahara Desert to walk 100km for CoppaFeel!, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of Breast Cancer in young people.

It felt like the Universe was reminding me why I started this journey in the first place.

The Why

Most people know that my work is rooted in something personal. After losing Les, I was driven to support women and men post-mastectomy with nipple and areola tattooing - restoring a sense of self and confidence through the most intimate kind of care.

17 years later, I lost my second partner, my husband David, to Cancer too. Another devastating loss that strengthened my belief in what I do, and the importance of showing up for people when they need it most.

Since then, my clinic has grown into something much more - a sanctuary for wellness, recovery, resilience, health optimisation, offering IV therapy, NAD+, Functional Blood testing and more.

But my mission has always stayed the same:

To help people rebuild, restore, and keep going – no matter what life brings.

The Trek

When I first applied for the CoppaTrek!, I wasn’t selected. I applied again. And again.

Finally, in December 2025, I got the best Christmas present  - I was in!!.

Led by Giovanna Fletcher and joined by 120+ fellow trekkers, including the brilliant Ashley Louise James who’s team I was on, we walked 100km across sand dunes, in searing heat, sharing stories, tears, laughter, and blister plasters along the way.

It was an experience like no other.

We walked for loved ones we’d lost, for those in the fight, for those who survived - and for the message that checking your chest can save lives.

So many of the women walking had faced breast cancer themselves - many under 35. And some of the most powerful stories came from the men walking alongside them - husbands, partners, sons, friends.

Every step was a reminder of why awareness matters.

The Moments I’ll Never Forget

There are too many to list, but here are a few that will stay with me:

• The night skies. No light pollution. Just stars for miles.
  
• The stories. Every person walking had their own reason, their own pain, their own strength.
  
• The silence. A kind of peace I didn’t know I needed.
  
• The camaraderie. Complete strangers becoming lifelong friends in just a few days.
  
• The emotion. Crossing that finish line, together, with our arms around each other. Exhausted. Proud. Changed.

The Impact

Together, we raised over £850,000 - the highest fundraising total CoppaFeel! has ever raised on a trek.

And we’re still going!

To every single person who donated, supported, cheered us on, or simply took a moment to ask, “What’s this all about?” - thank you SO MUCH!

Your support meant more than you’ll ever know.

To my incredible corporate sponsors:

• AY Business Law
• Breakthrough Women
• Stronger Together Charity
• Sian Formwork Ltd
• EVC Property
• For Every Child I Wish
• Holcombe Health Clinic
• Ble Global
• TD Aesthetics
• Restored Healthcare
• Ryland Communications
• Link Smoke Control

Thank you for standing behind us and this powerful cause.

And to ‘Team Ashley’ - thank you for the laughs, the grit, and the shoulder squeezes when it got tough. I’ll carry each of you with me….. always.

What I’m Taking Home

It’s easy to forget, in the noise of everyday life, what truly matters.

The trek stripped everything back - no phones, no distractions, no outside pressures.

Just people. Purpose. And presence.

It reminded me why I do what I do. Why I opened my clinic. Why I get up every day and help people feel better in their bodies and minds.

And it reminded me of something I hope never to forget:

Stripped back. Stronger than ever. Together.‍

Thank you CoppaFeel! for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Thank you to everyone who walked beside me - in the desert, and in spirit.

Thank you to all my clients (and future clients), to my amazing children Lottie & Joe, my two beautiful granddaughters and also never forgetting - thank you to Les and David - your memories carried me through every step. You are the reason I do what I do and will continue to do.

With all my love,

Camilla x