12/05/2026
This weekend Royal Navy friends and family will remember the late Commander Amy Gilmore MBE as they embark on a 630-mile challenge around the South West Coastal Path.
Prior to her cancer diagnosis, following the loss of her father, Amy planned to take a sabbatical to complete the SWCP herself to fundraise for charity. During her treatment she found comfort and strength in walking or running sections of the Path but unfortunately did not get the opportunity to complete it. Sadly, losing her long and courageous fight in July 2025.
At 8am on Saturday 16th May, teams made up of family, friends and service colleagues, will start a 68-leg relay from Shell Bay, Studland to walk the SWCP, using Amy’s walking poles as the baton to be handed on through each team. The challenge is hoped to be completed a week later at approximately 2pm on 23 May on Minehead seafront. The aim is to create an active reminder of Amy by completing the challenge that she set herself and to raise funds for charities that played a significant role in Amy’s life and continued care.
Surgeon Commander Rachael Booth, has worked with others, including Amy’s husband Steve, to bring it all together. She explained ‘the challenge was originally inspired by efforts to fund Amy’s Enhertu treatment, recommended through ‘Make 2nds Count’, and the idea of completing the South West Coastal Path for Amy has never really left me.’
Rachael, whose team will be starting things off on Saturday continued ‘we are now taking on the challenge in her memory and on her behalf. By bringing people together through friendship, laughter and resilience, we hope to channel our grief into something positive while capturing the spirit of .’
Friend and colleague, Commander Anna Misiak, who will be completing the last leg with some of Amy’s family, said: ‘Amy was an inspirational lady who never failed to take on a challenge and succeed. This is our way of honouring Amy whilst taking her with us in the form of her walking poles as relay batons.’
‘We are overwhelmed by the level of support we have received to date and hope the challenge inspires other people to believe they can do more than they can’ she continued.
The event is raising awareness and fundraising 3 superb charities that helped Amy and her family in the last months of her life, with fundraising through https://www.justgiving.com/team/bemoreamy
More information about the challenge can be found at www.bemoreamy.co,
