Birmingham’s Sophia selected to feature in London Gallery

As a nation, we are humble. Brits are simply not a braggy people and have a tendency to downplay achievements, sometimes to the point of self-deprecation. Many of us are hopeless when it comes to self-promotion or celebrating our triumphs. 

Following a national call-out for nominations, leading ready-to-drink protein shake brand, For Goodness Shakes, has identified eight unsung heroes worthy of the spotlight and is bringing them out of the shadows and into a dedicated ‘Portraits of Today’s Everyday Heroes’ exhibition to showcase their personal successes, whilst also helping to provide inspiration for those on their own journeys of growth.

With an inspiring story, Sophia Badhan, 23, from Birmingham, stood out as an Everyday Hero having turned personal struggles into a force for good. Her campaigning and fundraising to raise awareness of mental health issues, help others feel less alone, and remove stigmas that serve to perpetuate that isolation has earned her a number of impressive accolades.

Hana Mohamud, 20, from Northampton, was an obvious Everyday hero candidate thanks to her passion for social action, her involvement in multiple programmes to help others, her fundraising and campaigning efforts, and her hope and desire for positive change (read both heroes’ full stories below).

Portraits of Today’s Everyday Heroes, open for one month only at the Mash Paddle Brewery in Bermondsey, London, from Friday 14 February–Thursday 13 March 2025, is an initiative inspired by a collaboration between For Goodness Shakes - fuelling everyone’s inner hero for over 20 years - and Marvel Studios, to mark the release of the hotly anticipated Captain America: Brave New World, this 14 February. 

Echoing the movie themes of resilience, perseverance, grit, strength and evolution, the For Goodness Shakes’ real-life Everyday Heroes selected to feature in the exhibition have shown determination, have achieved goals despite the odds, have demonstrated kindness, generosity or selflessness, or have worked hard to bring about change or help others. Their efforts and accomplishments represent those that are carried out every day by millions of Brits and serve as an inspiration to us all to persevere, do good, and be the best versions of ourselves.

“Selecting our heroes was such a difficult task,” says Philippa Milburn, Brand Manager at For Goodness Shakes. “We received so many inspiring and heartening nominations, which, as well as triggering lots of emotion, brought a tangible sense of optimism and hope. 

“Our Everyday Heroes’ stories are a true reflection of the incredible things Brits do every single day, and an important reminder of the power of humanity, of integrity, of courage, of determination, of kindness, and of community, at a time when our news feeds can feel overwhelmingly distressing.  

“And that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve with this project; to demonstrate that we can all be heroes and can all make a difference to benefit or support others’ lives and experiences or our own.”

Alongside the Bermondsey exhibition, the portraits - shot by photographer, David Wren - and individual Everyday Hero stories feature in a dedicated web gallery on the For Goodness Shakes website. Visitors to the page can also donate to social action charity, Volunteering Matters, which brings people together to overcome some of society's most complex issues through the power of volunteering.

“Our charity partner for the Everyday heroes project, Volunteering Matters,” adds Milburn, “aligns so perfectly with the themes of the campaign. Helping individuals and communities thrive through the vital contribution of place-based volunteering, their work is proactively creating the Everyday Heroes of tomorrow.”   

The framed portraits hung in the gallery will be gifted to the Everyday Heroes featured in them once the exhibition comes to a close on 13 March.

Sophia has struggled with mental health issues from a young age, starting whilst she was still in primary school. At 15 Sophia tried to take her own life after hiding most of her struggles from those around her. She had felt let down and dismissed by the systems that should have protected her.

Whilst in hospital she was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. During her treatment in hospital she began to understand that she had been dealing with something alone that the mental health systems around her should have seen and wanted to ensure this didn’t happen to another young person like her.

When she left hospital she fiercely advocated for herself and was eventually allowed to return to school full time. However, she didn’t stop there. She was determined to raise awareness for the issues she had been dealing with so that others would know they are not alone and that there didn’t need to be a stigma around these topics. In school she ran an assembly for eating disorder awareness week where she shared her story and faced head-on the rumors that had been circulating since her absence. After the assembly she was thanked by multiple students for breaking a wall of silence and one student even confided that she was going to seek help for her own issues now too.

Whilst completing a full course of A Levels Sophia ran a campaign for eating disorder awareness at school and set up charity fundraisers. She also created a session plan for year 7 students on early intervention and wellbeing so that they wouldn’t fall through the cracks like she did. She was appointed the school’s first ever Wellbeing Prefect and 6 years later the role and the sessions are going strong.

When she was 19, Sophia received the prestigious Diana Award and has also been awarded the British Citizen Award for services to healthcare. She continues to be active in social action work throughout her university degree and today, as an #iwill ambassador, whilst working full time.

Sophia says: “I now know that you can’t help others if you don’t first help yourself. I know I have to look after myself too, so I make sure to go for a walk every day and have total me-time on the weekends.”

“I had to grow up quickly during my time in hospital but everything I have been through and survived has given me whole new confidence. When I was very little I was so chatty and loud and then I became withdrawn, so speaking out and helping others has helped me find myself again."

“Use your voice, because you’re stronger and more powerful than you can even imagine – you are capable of anything you set your mind to! Give yourself the space to make mistakes and learn from them - you don't have to be perfect, and the only thing holding you back is you.”

Hana was only 16 years of age at the time of the Covid-19 outbreak. Yet, the pandemic sparked in her a desire to get out the house and do something to help. Applying at first to a program with National Citizen Trust, she was on completion redirected to the organization iwill to become an ambassador.

Since then, Hana has found many other avenues to channel her passion for social action. She completed human rights training with the Council of Europe and has volunteered and fundraised to support an orphanage in Uganda – all the while working towards completing her university degree in Biomedical Science and running its Islamic Society.

When she was told she’d been nominated as an Everyday Hero, she said “I felt proud of myself. I dedicate myself to this kind of work because I have a genuine passion for it, but it’s really nice when someone recognises the impact it’s having on others.”

The volunteering work she carried out at an orphanage in Uganda has a particularly profound impact on Hana. “I met the sweetest children there, and still get regular updates from the head of the school about how they are getting on – which my mum translates for me. I have family over there, so I’m hoping to go back again to visit next summer”, she explains.

While she was out there, she decided to start a Go Fund Me page with her auntie, and raised over one thousand pounds – which went towards making the children’s Eid celebration as special as it could be. She recounts, “In the UK, we’re used to breaking fast with lots of food, so it was definitely more challenging over there – but we raised money for a bouncy castle and made it extra special for the children.”

Her time at the orphanage taught her a lot of life skills, she explains: “I tried my best to help with the children’s chores and by cooking for them, but it was hard seeing 40 triple bunk beds in one room. The whole experience has certainly made me reevaluate parts of my life and the ways I behave as a consumer. We’re very privileged and often take things like a warm house and food on our plates for granted.”

Since becoming a youth ambassador for The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, she has actively involved her siblings and friends in the programme – helping to bring greater diversity and improve access of opportunity for people within her own community.

Hana says, “I want my actions to have a ripple effect. I’ve been lucky to have an open and loving family supporting me, and my mum has always instilled in me the belief that I could overcome any barriers I faced. I’ve been a product of the change that is taking place, and I want to pay it forward and continue that positive cycle. I owe it to younger me.”

Her advice to others wanting to bring out their inner heroes exhibits a wisdom beyond her years. She says, “There is no rulebook. We must all be our own individual heroes and find our own way. Whatever space you occupy, try to think about how you can make it better. Start by finding your passion. Be unapologetically loud, and remember that every set back is a set up for a comeback.”