Three generations of family ‘excited’ for new Horsham Cancer Research UK Race for Life

Trish Law, her daughter Theresa and granddaughters Jess, 11, Abbie, nine, and Leah, six, will all be taking part in the Horsham Race for Life, after the family have been blighted by cancer over the years.

The event takes place in June and marks the first time Race for Life will be held in the town.

Trish, 64, of Kennedy Road, and her family have previously run five Race for Life events in Ardingly.

Trish said: “We’re looking forward to the Horsham event because we all live in the town. The girls go to school here and we’re hoping all our friends and family will come down to cheer us on.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life in partnership with Tesco is an amazing women-only series of events, which raises millions of pounds every year for life-saving research into 200 types of cancer – helping men, women and children survive.

Trish’s granddaughter Leah was just four when she took part in her first Race for Life event. The family were motivated to take part annually after several close family members were diagnosed with cancer.

“I lost my dad to lymphatic cancer when he was just 52. It’s a cancer which is one of the most treatable today thanks to the work of Cancer Research UK,” said Trish.

“My mother suffered with various types of cancer over the years and finally died in 2005. My grandchildren’s paternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and following successful treatment is now well.

“As a family we’re eternally grateful for the treatment she received and we’re now passionate about raising awareness about cancer and furthering research by Cancer Research UK.

“The girls love taking part in Race for Life, they understand completely that by doing so they’re helping to save lives,” she added.

Thanks to their efforts the family have already raised more than £15,000 for Cancer Research UK over the years and hope to boost the figure this year.

A non-competitive event, women can choose whether to walk, jog or run a 5km, or in some venues, a 10km route. Most are able to walk 5km in an hour and all women are welcome, walking solo or as part of a group.

“You don’t have to be a good runner to take part,” Trish added. “Myself and Leah do little spurts at a time. I’ll say, ‘come on let’s just overtake that group ahead’, we’ll really go for it and then have a little rest. It’s such a lovely atmosphere and the most important thing is to get involved and help raise money for Cancer Research UK.“

By uniting – and enlisting the support of the men and boys in their lives – women across Sussex can make a stand against cancer.

In the South East nearly five people are diagnosed with cancer every day, amounting to 42,400 people each year.

However, more people are beating cancer than ever before. Survival rates have doubled over the last 40 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, Cancer Research UK spent nearly £25 million last year in the South East alone on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

Cancer Research UK receives no Government funding for its ground-breaking research, so money raised through Race for Life is crucial to the pioneering work of doctors, nurses and scientists who are fighting on all fronts.

Thanks to research into cancer, hundreds of thousands of lives have already been saved. With help from the people of Horsham, Cancer Research UK intends to save many more.

To join Horsham versus cancer, visit the Race for Life’s website or call 0871 641 1111.

You can sponsor Trish and her family at their page.