This year’s Perth Race for Life will be particularly poignant for one local woman.
As she prepares to cross the finish line with hundreds of other fundraisers in the fight against cancer, Lisa Grant is preparing for a battle of her own.
The 26-year-old has decided to undergo preventative surgery after discovering she carries the BRCA1 gene that puts her at higher risk of developing the disease.
Along with her sister, Laura, she underwent tests after they lost their mother, Alison, to cancer last year.
She developed breast cancer in January 2011 and, despite undergoing surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it spread to her lungs, bones and brain.
Lisa spent a year caring for her mum, giving up her job in retail to ensure she could spend as much time with her as possible.
“When she got really ill, she wasn’t the mum we knew,” she said. “Mum was so hard-working and was always on the go so it hit her hard.
“We were there with her all the time as she needed us to be there constantly.
“It was hard to see her like that she just wasn’t herself but she tried to put a brave face on it.”
Alison spent her final days in a hospice, where she died, aged just 46.
Lisa, a mum-of-one, said it was “heart-breaking” to move her but that it gave them the opportunity to recapture their relationship.
She added: “Mum seemed more peaceful there for a while. It meant I got to spend time with her and just be her daughter, instead of her carer.”
Although she is awaiting surgery, Lisa has vowed to fulfil her mum’s final wish to take part in the annual Race for Life and help raise money for Cancer Research UK.
This year, she has been given the honour of sounding an air horn to start the event, which takes place on the North Inch in Perth on Sunday.
“It’s going to be tough on the day,” she continued. “It will bring back all the reasons why I am doing it.
“She told us to she wanted us to do Race for Life and I want to do all I can to help raise more money for research.”
Event manager for Race for Life in Perth, Cara Inglis, described Lisa’s story as “inspirational” and expressed her gratitude for her “amazing” support.
She said: “It’s a real honour to have Lisa starting the race. Her mum’s courage as she fought cancer and her family’s dedication to help others is truly inspirational.
“We want to say a massive thanks to the whole community and to everyone who has volunteered to help us on the day to make Perth Race for Life a great success.”
Last year, 783 women took part in the Race for Life in Perth, raising more than £50,000.
This year, organisers hope the women and girls striding out, including an impressive team of 50 ladies from Curves Perth, will work just as hard to match that and provide funds for the charity’s vital research.
See more at raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org