'We want to fight on': Four generations take on Race for Life inspired by grandma’s cancer diagnosis

Four generations of one Leeds family aged between six and 89 will take on Race for Life next month to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Christine, 89, her daughter Charlotte, 62, granddaughter Rachel, 32 and great granddaughters Martha, eight, Olivia, seven, will all complete the Race for Life in Harrogate on Sunday July 5.

Christine will compete in the race while living with terminal lung cancer which she was diagnosed with earlier this year.

“I’ve said I’ll do it in the hope that we get a lot of money for cancer research and in the hope that my great-grandchildren won’t follow the family tradition of getting cancer,” Christine, who is also a breast cancer survivor, told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“We know I’m not going to be here for that long which is why I think we all just want to fight on and I want to fight on with them.”

The family has also lost several loved ones to cancer including Christine’s husband Doug and her daughter Cathi, and the group of five are inspired to compete in their memory.

Rachel said: “You always hear the statistics about how high the prevalence of cancer is but when you’re younger, you think it’s not going to happen to us.

“The reality of it is so many people are affected by it and when it does happen to your family, it has quite a big knock-on effect.”

Christine, Charlotte, Rachel, Martha, and Olivia will take on the Race for Life 3k and 5k events on The Stray in Harrogate while kitted in pink, a colour which is universally linked to breast cancer awareness and is young Olivia’s favourite.

For Charlotte, the race is a chance to show “unity” against cancer.

“I think it’s going to be brilliant, I think it’s going to be emotional. We’re all coming together on the day to run the race and it’ll just be absolutely fantastic,” Charlotte said.

“The event is bringing our family together but it’s also bringing together all these people from different walks of life.”

The group are raising money for Cancer Research UK and based on their own experiences of cancer within the family, they know what a monumental difference fundraising can make.

In fact, Christine’s mother Amy was a participant in successful trials of drugs which were later used on Christine while she had breast cancer.

This is not the first time the family have taken on a challenge.

Back in 2007, Christine, Charlotte and Rachel, all participated in a previous Race for Life and they fondly remember the “amazing atmosphere” of the event.

Rachel said: “It’s really uplifting.

“There’s so many people that come and do it from all different ages, and body types, and it’s so nice to see everyone come together in such a positive way.”

Now, the trio are "proud" to add a new generation to their cohort as Martha and Olivia take on the race.

As well as this, fellow granddaughter Amy recently completed the Kent Race for Life to show her support.

Christine said that she feels “blessed” to have her family take on Race for Life alongside her and she hopes to raise both awareness and funds to help other people living with cancer.

“I think Race for Life is a really good thing to do - it’s a way of showing normal people’s concern about cancer being such a killer.

“We can only do our own bit and hope eventually things will get better”

To support Christine and her family’s Race for Life challenge, donate to their online fundraising page.