AN INSPIRATIONAL Basingstoke mum-of-two will be celebrating her tenth year of taking part in Race for Life.

Poonam Gurung was first inspired to support the event after losing her grandmother to cancer.

Since then, she has been raising awareness throughout the community and has encouraged men, women and children to join her team to support life-saving research.

Poonam said: “I cannot stop the tears when I think about the friends and family that I’ve lost but I try my best to help Cancer Research UK so that every penny we raise will change someone’s life.

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“It makes us feel so good knowing that our donations are helping people and we are really proud to be marking our tenth year of Race for Life. Now we have mothers, fathers and children joining us and we make it a big, fun day out.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life, is an inspiring series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research. 

Poonam, who runs a restaurant in Newbury, first took part in 2013 after seeing an advert for Race for Life on television.

She continued: “My grandmother was so close to my heart and after she passed away from cancer, it was really important for me to do something to help others facing the disease.

“The first time I took part, I did it with my colleague, Sudha Gurung and while I was running the 5k, I kept thinking of my Grandma and those who have died or are going through cancer. I’d raised £350 and when I completed the race it felt so good to think that all that money would be going towards helping people.

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“The following year, I decided to involve more people from our women’s group, Tamu Dhee Aama Samuha UK and lots of members were happy to come along. As the years have passed, more and more people have come on board and we even took part virtually during lockdown."

In 2020 her good friend Chandra Maya Gurung, who used to do Race for Life, died of ovarian cancer at the age of 50 and this year she will be running in her honour.

The event will be held at Reading’s Prospect Park on July 16.