UNDER the watchful eye of a celebrity musician a Calstock entrepreneur will soon be treking across Romania to raise funds for breast cancer charity CoppaFeel, writes Lindsay Turpin.

Sam Jackman, a former Calstock Primary School pupil and Callington College student who was once wheelchair bound, applied for a national newspaper’s challenge of a daunting 46-mile trek across Romania. Sixty people were carefully selected for ‘Team Transylvania’ which has two celebrity team captains, TV presenter Lisa Snowdon and McFly’s Tom Fletcher.

Sam has long been a fundraiser for breast cancer charities and a supporter of women who have been affected by breast cancer and decided to apply for the challenge to help raise funds for CoppaFeel.

She said: ‘My mum had breast cancer and she had a mastectomy more than ten years ago and I am passionate about ensuring that the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are empowered to battle cancer — and early diagnoses and understanding symptoms is a big part of this.

‘I applied for this challenge as I knew it would be a great way of raising awareness and funds but also there was a time when I couldn’t walk and had to be in a wheelchair as I have an auto immune disease but after my son Charlie was born it went into remission — so I know people in the local area will know my battle and support me in this challenge.’

Charlie, eight, has also become an avid fundraiser alongside his mum — the pair now bake brownies as a way to raise money and the scheme is called ‘Brownies for Boobies’. The idea is that they take a tray of brownies to businesses and leave them there with a collection tin and people can donate what they want for a piece of the brownie.

Sam’s target amount for the trek in July is £2,200 — and as the Times went to press, the total so far stands at £1,032.11.

Sam added: ‘I will be camping in a small Romanian village and tackling the rugged wilderness and the region’s impressive mountain ranges.

‘I’m not naturally a hiker and I’m wondering about my ability to last without hair straighteners, let alone walking five plus hours a day, dodging bears, sleeping in tents and looking for Count Dracula — so please, support me on this challenge by sending your donations in and help me raise awareness about breast cancer and the fantastic work of CoppaFeel.

‘Breast cancer is something we need to talk about and raising awareness of breast cancer is currently a key objective for me, personally and professionally.’

Sam, with Rosie Brave, a postgraduate researcher, designed and reimagined an external breast prosthesis to be used by women after mastectomy.

Their design has got them through to the final of the Design Council Spark Showcase Exhibition on June 27.

For more information on the Brownies for Boobies or to donate for Sam’s challenge, visit transylvaniacoppafeel.everydayhero.com/uk/samantha-s-challenge