Former BBC broadcaster Bill Turnbull sent a poignant message to women competing in Ipswich’s Race for Life this weekend: don’t leave it too late to get checked for cancer.
Mr Turnbull asked colleague and friend Gary Stevens, a Heart FM DJ who helped host the event, to share some important words of advice with fundraisers running for Cancer Research UK at Trinity Park.
Classic FM host Mr Turnbull, who recently moved to Woodbridge, was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last year.
Addressing the crowd, Mr Stevens said Mr Turnbull had complained about “not feeling right” for a long time before seeking medical help.
“He said if he did something earlier his prognosis may have been better so he said please can you tell the brave ladies of Ipswich if they don’t feel right or if they are having a chat with someone who says they don’t feel right, please don’t be afraid to go to someone and say you don’t feel right because by doing that you can save a life,” Mr Stevens said.
The pair both work for the Heart radio network.
Cancer Research UK hosted a series of Race for Life events at Trinity Park this weekend including the Pretty Muddy obstacle course and 5k and 10k runs.
More than 3,000 women and children competed over the two days and raised a total of £178,000.
Gemma Richards from Ipswich was one of those taking part with her eight-month-old daughter, Rebecca, and partner, Gavin Abery, in the sidelines.
She said: “I’m really working on my fitness because I want to be a role model for my daughter.”
Patricia Cobb, who ran alongside fellow volunteers at the Cancer Research UK shop in Felixstowe, lost her husband to cancer around 16 years ago.
She said: “You don’t feel so alone – I was quite young when I was widowed so when you see so many people here you think they have all been down the same road.”
Julie Nicholls, 72 and from Sudbury, chose to sign up because her husband has battled bladder cancer and her 44-year-old son is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.
She said: “They have both gone through a lot so I feel that if I put myself out at my age and do it then I feel I have done something worthwhile.”
A Felixstowe woman who lost three loved ones in just one year pulled on her running shoes this weekend and joined the fight against cancer.
Emma Lockwood was motivated to sign-up for Race for Life in Ipswich after losing her grandmother, uncle and a good friend to different types of cancer in just one year.
The 41-year-old from Felixstowe also wanted to take on the challenge as part of her weight loss journey having shed four stone in just over a year.
She said: “I lost my gran, uncle and really good friend all to cancer last year and I recently lost four stone so this was incentive to keep the weight off and do something for cancer.”
Cheering on from the sideline was proud husband, Stephen.
The pair were also celebrating their seven-year wedding anniversary on the day of the race.
Mrs Lockwood had so far raised £850 in sponsorship.
Race for Life event manager Gemma Turpin described the atmosphere as“electric”.
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