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We are running the toughmudder to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and in memory of Emmy Coates, who sadly passed away very recently. 

Emmy's story

Emmy had symptoms for more than a year before she was eventually diagnosed with Medullary Thyroid Cancer. Emmy was told that she was probably suffering from stress or IBS and wouldn't have gone back to the GP had it not been for the rekindling of her romance with her childhood sweetheart Jake (who had moved to Australia and become a doctor), who urged her to go back. 

Rushed into A and E, Emmy was given a biopsy and told that she had probably had the cancer for about two years (hence her later determination to spread the word about her symptoms to others to raise awareness - http://ejtandemonium.com). Jake immediately flew back from Australia to be by her side but a week later, as they were about to go away on holiday together, Emmy was again rushed to hospital for scans which determined the cause of her severe chest pains was that the cancer had spread extensively, and was now, devastatingly,  incurable.

 Unbeknown to Emmy, Jake had been planning to propose on the trip and, even more determined than ever to spend every day they had together, he proposed the following morning and they were married in September 2016. 

Emmy and Jake are both an inspiration in terms of their courage, positive outlook, kindness, compassion and modesty. Together they rode a tandem bicycle from London to Copenhagen (http://ejtandemonium.com) and wrote two children's books (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tara-Tyrone-Stuck-Emily-Coates/dp/1527203956)  in order to raise money for the Royal Marsden hospital (nearly £130,000). 

If ever you needed a reminder that love conquers all, Emmy and Jake lived this motto. Packing in as many adventures and as much time with their loved ones as possible, in between doing thoughtful and wonderful things for others. In her funny, self deprecating, down to earth posts about her journey, Emmy chronicled her battles with her illness with so much positivity and gratitude for the good in her life. Emmy vowed that if she couldn't live life longer, she'd love it more deeply. And that she did, making a difference to quite literally thousands of people who followed her story and have promised to live by her words - 'smile love and be kind'. 

On the 16th of June 2017, Emmy passed away. But you could never say she lost any battle. She had already won. Because she knew what life was about, lived every minute of it the best she could, and brought her strength and kindness to so many people-even people she never met.

We hope that the money raised in this event can help the Royal Marsden continue their amazing work that Emmy was so grateful for and spoke so highly of. 

" It is true that you never know what is around the corner, I feel so positive and so blessed and I have never had such a boost to live every day to the full...to smile, to love and to be kind"

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