Pontefract woman to run virtual marathon for Prostate Cancer charity in memory of 'hero' dad

After losing her father, Stewart, last New Year's Eve to prostate cancer, Caroline Wright signed up for a sponsored run organised by Prostate Cancer UK.

The virtual challenge asks participants of all abilities to cover 26.2 miles over the course of the month.

Caroline began her journey last Sunday by covering multiple laps around Pontefract Park’s racecourse.

She said: “It’s been a year since we lost my dad, so I just wanted to do something in memory of him and all the other men who are going through it.

“Raising awareness is really important, it means a lot to my whole family.

"Since dad passed, I’ve been looking on the charity’s website and I came across the January run and I decided to do it over the course of so many weeks.

“My partner, Simon and three children Aimee, Bradley and Caitlin will be joining me for support when they can, I’ll be going every weekend to make up the miles and putting it on my Facebook page so people keep up to date with my progress.”

Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, killing one man every 45 minutes.

As well as raising awareness, Caroline set herself a target of raising £500 for the charity.

She has since raised £545.

Donations came flooding in from friends, family and anonymous donors to support Caroline on her walk.

Caroline said: “It’s been quite overwhelming, it’s so nice to know that everyone’s behind me.

“The support that has come from our big family has been really touching, they've all donated to the fundraiser.

“There have been many anonymous donors too, it doesn’t matter how, even if it’s a small amount, it means a lot.”

Daughter Aimee said: “I know for certain my granddad would be proud of my mum for what she is doing and all of his family too. He’s our hero and we miss him dearly.

“My granddad was a very kind hearted man - he never failed to make us laugh.

“He’d light up every room with his smile and laughter. He was the sort of person you would think would live forever!

“All in all he was the best granddad ever- you just don’t realise that something such as prostate cancer or anything can affect the healthiest people at all.”

Caroline said: “If you’ve got any of the symptoms don’t be afraid to go to the doctors.

“It’s just getting every male to check and try and get it checked early, if there is something wrong, going to get medical help could save your life.”

To donate to Caroline's cause, click here