Group to run race in memory of late friend

Cheryl Bracey, 42, bravely fought the disease for 20 months before she died and even ran last year’s Worthing race while receiving treatment.

Now, a group of Cheryl’s friends, whose children attend various groups and Thomas A Becket First school, will join her mother, Linda, and daughter, Sylvie, in running the event on Sunday.

Linda said: “It is fantastic that all the girls are coming together to do the race. It is absolutely brilliant.

“Cheryl was a very brave girl and she always had a smile on her face. I could say so much about her.

“It will be a very emotional day on Sunday.”

The group will join numerous others at the start line, in Steyne Gardens, racing five kilometres along the promenade and back.

They have all been raising money and have already smashed their target of £400, reaching nearly £4,000 for Cancer Research at the 
time the Herald went to 
press.

Kerrie Hopkins, 37, said: “It was everybody’s idea and was a joint effort to get it sorted and raise lots of money.

“We have all been brought together in the memory of Cheryl, who was the most caring, bubbly and gorgeous person, who never complained about her illness at all.”

Apart from remembering lost friends and relatives, the race acts as an important way to raise awareness of cancer.

Denise McGrath, 45, said: “Some of us have run marathons, some of us haven’t even run for a bus, but we are all determined to do this in honour of our friend, who we all miss every day.

“Events like Race for Life are vital in funding Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer.

“By sponsoring us, we can unite and create a force that cancer can’t ignore.”

To find out more about the challenge, or to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/cheryl