Isle Of Wight Man Completes 100km Colombian Jungle Trek In Memory Of Sister

An Isle of Wight businessman has completed a gruelling 100-kilometre trek through the Colombian jungle in memory of his sister, who died from melanoma aged just 26.

Charlie Panayi, a trustee of Mountbatten, spent six days trekking through the Colombian Amazon, tackling intense heat, humidity and challenging terrain as part of a series of fundraising and awareness challenges.

His sister Zoe died from melanoma in May 2020, leaving behind two young sons.

Charlie says the challenges are about more than pushing himself physically — they're a way of keeping Zoe's story alive and raising awareness of melanoma.

He said the six-day trek was "every bit as tough" as he expected, adding:

"I didn't realise you could sweat so much!"

Charlie has already taken on a number of challenges this year, including climbing Puig Campana in Spain, completing the 27-mile Walk the Wight, summiting Bobotov Kuk in Montenegro and taking on the Welsh 3000s.

His next challenge will see him joined by around 40 other people for the 15-kilometre London Tough Mudder on 20 September.

The challenges are raising money for Mountbatten, which provides hospice and end-of-life care and support to people and families across the Isle of Wight.

They're also helping to promote Zoe's Law — a campaign created following Zoe's death to raise awareness of melanoma, prevention and the importance of spotting changes to your skin early.

Charlie is now urging anyone who has followed his challenges to support the campaign by donating to Mountbatten and signing the Zoe's Law petition.

He said:

"I've done the walking. Now I'm asking people to help us turn those 100 kilometres into something that genuinely makes a difference."