BARNSLEY’S first Race For Life will be a family affair for the Ogleys.
The family of four will be running and volunteering at the event, which aims to help beat cancer.
Mum Jayne, 38, from Monk Bretton, will be taking part in the 5k, while dad Stuart, 37, and eldest son Andrew, 14, will volunteer as event marshals.
Youngest son Jack, ten, will be hitting the dirt at the Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids at Sheffield Graves Park.
The family are taking part in memory of Stuart’s granddad, and the boys’ great-grandfather Albert, who died of bowel cancer in 2008 aged 73.
But they will also be doing it in celebration of Stuart’s dad, Brian, 62, who is now seven years clear of cancer after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011.
Stuart said: “My granddad Albert was a heavy smoker and not very healthy. Doctors told him he wouldn’t survive the surgery that might have saved him. Then three years later, my dad Brian was diagnosed with cancer. Before he became ill he was in pretty good shape and so was fit enough to have surgery to remove his tumour. It saved his life and he was soon back to normal, running around with Andrew and Jack again.
“My dad’s successful treatment made me realise that if me and my family were to have the best chance of beating cancer if it ever happened to us, we needed to start looking after ourselves and get fit.”
Sports mad Jack, who goes to Carlton Primary, is excited about doing the new Pretty Muddy Kids. He said: “It will be something really fun that me and my friends can do together, but this time my mum won’t tell me off for getting dirty.” Andrew, who is a pupil at Holy Trinity, is looking forward to joining his dad as a Race for Life event volunteer.
Volunteers are needed for a range of key roles on the day which include managing the information marquee, cheering participants around the course and handing out medals at the finish line.
Jayne, who works part time at Next Distribution, said: “I am so excited Race for Life is coming to Barnsley for the first time. Andrew only has vague memories of his great granddad Albert and we lost him before Jack was born. It is sad that they’ve missed out on him being around as they’ve grown up, he would be so proud of them. But we’re lucky they’ve still got their granddad Brian, who loves spending time with them.”
Race For Life will be held at Locke Park on July 4 from 7pm.
