Ullapool athletes’ endurance event tribute to Stefan Mauger in support of young people’s cancer charity

Ullapool athletes William Godding and Sam Peukert are preparing to fly the flag for Wester Ross this coming weekend as they test their mettle at the ATHX Glasgow fitness experience at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow.

But for both, their involvement will transcend personal achievement, as they raise funds in tribute to the late Stefan Mauger – a young man from Ullapool who passed away earlier this year after a valiant five-year battle with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. ​

RELATED:

‘Life is for living, whatever is in front of you’ - Family leads tributes to ‘remarkable’ Stefan Mauger after five-year battle with cancer

Teammates' close shave is show of support for Wester Ross teenager; Ullapool football captain inspires funding boost for teen cancer charity

Teams unite in applause for Ullapool footballer Stefan

Stefan, who was 20 at the time of his passing, continues to be remembered as a "remarkable young man", deeply admired in his community and beyond.

A devout Liverpool FC fan, he captained Ullapool FC's under-17 team, doing so even during his illness, displaying a resilience and positive attitude throughout that left an indelible mark on those who knew him.

William and Sam’s decision to compete in ATHX Glasgow was initially driven by their shared passion for fitness.

Both 27 years old, William, a goalkeeper with Lochbroom FC who had taken part in crossfit competitions before suffering a back injury, and Sam, a powerlifter, entered the pro category of the event to challenge themselves.

But Stefan's passing in January transformed their participation into a mission to honour his memory and to raise funds for charity.

“When Stefan passed one of my initial feelings, amongst shock and sadness, was that I’d like to honour him,” Will explains.

“He is Sam’s cousin and I’ve known him since I was a kid as I grew up with Sam.

“I wanted to honour him as I’d admired his courage and attitude towards his situation.

“So, I presented the idea to Lochbroom manager Ben Bruce to see if it was possible to get a custom Lochbroom FC shirt printed with Stefan’s name on the back, as well as the numbers of his two favourite Liverpool players.

“He was able to get it done and he even went one step further by getting the ‘Young lives vs Cancer’ logo printed on the front.

“From that point it was clear that we could do more with this event, to represent Stefan and spread his story with this platform but we were also representing the charity and would use the opportunity to raise money for them, as they played a major role in Stefan’s journey.”

The ATHX Glasgow event, which takes place on Saturday, April 5, promises to be a rigorous 2.5-hour fitness challenge, encompassing strength, endurance, and metabolic conditioning workouts.

Participants will navigate through various zones, including a strength segment focusing on back squats and strict presses, an endurance segment featuring running and biking, and a Metcon X zone designed to test overall fitness.

In support of their efforts, members of the community have been making donations to Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity set up to help families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them after a child or young person is diagnosed with the illness.

To accept donations, Sam has launched a JustGiving page at justgiving.com/page/samuel-peukert-1 and already funds have reached over £1100.

To find out more about the charity, visit younglivesvscancer.org.uk.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.