Bouncing back after cancer

A group of friends are swapping cocktail dresses for space hoppers for Cancer Research UK. Catherine Scott reports.
Getting muddy:  A team of glamourous business women, led by Huddersfield cancer survivor Mandy Taylor are raising cash for Cancer Research UKGetting muddy:  A team of glamourous business women, led by Huddersfield cancer survivor Mandy Taylor are raising cash for Cancer Research UK
Getting muddy: A team of glamourous business women, led by Huddersfield cancer survivor Mandy Taylor are raising cash for Cancer Research UK

A TEAM OF friends are urging women to bounce into action in the fight against cancer.

Adorned in their finest cocktail dresses, tiaras, pearls and a little bit of mud, cancer survivor and Team Pink Fizz leader, Mandy Taylor, 48, rounded up five of her glamourous friends to help her launch the mud-splattered obstacle course which takes place for the first time in Halifax on Saturday July 22 at Savile Park. The team, made up of charitable businesswomen from Huddersfield and Halifax, dressed to impress before getting down and dirty to test out the giant ‘space hoppers’ – just one of the obstacles that women can tackle at the Pretty Muddy event.

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The group of women are more used to running their businesses or organising charity events, than rolling around Savile Park in the mud, but each has their own reason for supporting Cancer Research UK.

Mandy of Golcar, who works for Louise Woollard Financial, was diagnosed with a rare type of breast cancer in July 2011.“It was a huge shock when I was told I had cancer. You just never think it’s going to happen to you, but it just spurred me on to step up my charity work and I set out to achieve a personal dream to establish ‘The Charity Angels’ – a group of individuals and businesses committed to supporting worthwhile charities by giving their skill, will and expertise – and simply lending a hand to those who need it most.”

She is now dubbed the charity’s Archangel and has helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for worthwhile causes in the area, including the Jo Cox Foundation.

“In the last six years I’ve been through a series of operations, months ago, and I continue to have minor ops. My experience means I understand all too clearly why Cancer Research UK’s work is so important. I believe it’s thanks to research that I’m standing here today. And the good news is that since being diagnosed, I’ve been lucky to have got married to a wonderful man and welcomed my first grandchild last year.”

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Joining the team is Sharon Holland, 54, of Halifax, volunteer fundraiser for BASH Local in Brighouse, Vicki Davenport, 53, a businesswoman from Huddersfield, Karen Bradbury, 54, Director of a family business in Huddersfield, Janet Pollard, 49, and Caron Marshall, 48, also of Halifax. Jining them on the day will be Angela Teal.

Pretty Muddy is a women-only, non-competitive 5k obstacle course – with added mud, thrills and spills in aid of Cancer Research UK

Other Race for Life events in the region:

Today – Scarborough

15 July – Harrogate Ripley Castle – Pretty Muddy

16 July – Harrogate Ripley Castle – 5k

!6 July – Pontefract Racecourse – 5k and 10k

16 Sept – York Racecourse – Pretty Muddy

To enter Race for Life Pretty Muddy today go to raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.