Melissa’s running challenge to help beat breast cancer

9/21/2011 5:46 AM EST

Press Release

For immediate release: 21 September 2011

Colchester runner Melissa Wyard pulled on her trainers to take part in the Adidas Women’s 5K Challenge in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign.

The Philip Morant School pupil joined Campaign’s Guardian Angels running team for the race in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday 11 September after several people close to her have been affected by breast cancer.

Melissa, aged 13, said: “I decided to run for Breast Cancer Campaign because my Granny and one of my Mum's friends have had cancer, and have received treatment. I chose the charity because I wanted to raise as much money as I could to help Breast Cancer Campaign continue to fund vital research.”

Melissa, who is a keen runner and trains with the Colchester Harriers Club, said: “I ran the Adidas Women’s 5K Challenge for Campaign in 2010 so I was really pleased to be able to run again this year for the charity. My time this year was 26 minutes 30 seconds which I was really pleased with.

“It was a really fun day and my Mum, Dad and little sister Evie came along to support me – it was great seeing them in the crowd as I ran by!”

She added: “If I add together my sponsorship from both runs I have raised about £400 for Campaign so I am very pleased.”

To help Melissa continue with her fundraising please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Melissa-Wyard

If you would like to take part in a running event for Breast Cancer Campaign please call 0207 749 4114, email   or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org

ENDS

Notes to editors
• Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
• The charity currently funds 95 projects worth almost £16.5 million in 31 locations across the UK and Ireland
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
• In the UK, around 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day
• The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank, the UK’s first ever national breast cancer tissue bank is a unique collaboration with four leading research institutions to create a vital resource of breast cancer tissue for researchers across the UK and Ireland. Visit breastcancertissuebank.org
• Visit breastcancercampaign.org or follow us at twitter.com/bccampaign