Fun loving adventurer, Shiona Ramage was 45 years old when she was first diagnosed with melanoma in June 2016.  In Mar 2017 the melanoma advanced to her brain and it progressed to stage 4 for which there is no cure. Fortunately in the last 5 years new immunotherapy and targeted treatments have helped to extend the lives of patients like Shiona. However immunotherapy only works for 50% of patients and the melanoma often develops resistance to the targeted treatments and there are still too many patients dying of this awful disease.

Shiona has been fortunate to be treated by the wonderful Professor James Larkin and his team at The Royal Marsden. She is currently taking daily targeted treatment Debrafenib and Trametinib which is keeping her melanoma under control. She writes a blog to raise awareness of living with stage 4 melanoma and you can read her story here shomelanoma.com

On 29/30 April 2023, we have assembled the largest team to date with 16 of us, including Shiona and her family and friends (Team Shomelanoma), undertaking the tough 106km Isle of Wight UltraChallenge taking on steep climbs on the undulating coastal path. The team includes:

The stalwarts: Tony, Sam, Phil, Shiona & Dave

The inbetweeners: Liz, Robo-Colin & Tasha

The newbies: Pete, Caroline, Jon, Peggy, Philly, Jim, Stu & Al

One or two were arm twisted in over the festive season but are now thoroughly looking forward to it ...

We are fundraising for melanoma research at the Royal Marsden.  All funds raised from the challenge will go 100% towards the melanoma research fund at the Royal Marsden to help them continue to develop life saving research and discover innovative new cancer treatments to extend the lives of more cancer patients. The care Shiona receives at the Royal Marsden is outstanding and she wants to give back and make a difference to the hospital as she owes them so much.  

Thank you for all your support 

Team Shomelanoma