This year I ran the Race for Life for the second time to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Last time, mum joined me. This time, it was the turn of my big sister.
Hardcore athletes scoff at the non-race they consider 5k to be. Some men have even said it's unfair - what if a guy wanted to run? The answer (apart from the fact that there is a men-only equivalent for prostate cancer) is solidarity. Race for Life brings women of all ages and athletic abilities together for one common cause. They wear pink, dress up in wigs and tutus and don't wonder for a second if they're bum looks fat or their tummy bulges. And when the compare asked for a minutes silence for those we have lost, this rabble of rowdy, giggly, happy pink ladies went silent.
Because at the crux of it all, THAT is why we are there. We race for those not just who we have lost, but those who have survived, those who have lived through the ordeal of cancer treatment and lived to run/jog/walk another day. The ladies all have signs pinned to their back that say who they run for, which makes the race especially moving as you read the signs while you run. They vary in decoration and this year I saw a mixture including "mum", "nan", "me" and simply "a cure". One very moving and inspirational sign read "me and my sister - both survivors!"
I am fortunate that I have not witnessed a loved one die from cancer. My mother has. She had lost her mother and brother by the time she was 30. I never got to meet my uncle or grandma and they weren't around long enough to know of my existence. Then a few years ago, my mum's best friend sadly succumbed to the disease.
So who do I run for? I run for my mother - because nobody should have to lose a loved one to cancer, let alone three. I run for the many people too sick to do it themselves. I run for future generations so that people can say that thanks to Cancer Research UK, they got to meet their grandma, their uncle. They got to know them. I never got to meet mine but thanks to Race for Life, the runners and the money they raise, people in the future will hopefully get to meet theirs.
Am I a runner? Not at all. I ran/jogged/walked it in 44 minutes. I'm happy with that. I did my best and enjoyed the day. And most importantly, I made a small contribution to what Cancer Research UK need to keep their funds up and their research going.
You can make a donation at: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/keatswomen