Brave Doncaster mum tells Race for Life of her cancer fight

Brave Doncaster mum Ashleigh Andrew handed hundreds of women lifesaving advice as Race for Life arrived in the borough at the weekend.
Ashleigh Andrew, 25, of Balby, spoke at this years event to help raise awareness of Cervical Cancer and urge women to attend their smear test. Ashleigh was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer last year after having her first Smear and has recently been given the all clear. She is pictured here with her mum Nicola Andrew and her son Bobbi Elliott, four.  Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 6Ashleigh Andrew, 25, of Balby, spoke at this years event to help raise awareness of Cervical Cancer and urge women to attend their smear test. Ashleigh was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer last year after having her first Smear and has recently been given the all clear. She is pictured here with her mum Nicola Andrew and her son Bobbi Elliott, four.  Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 6
Ashleigh Andrew, 25, of Balby, spoke at this years event to help raise awareness of Cervical Cancer and urge women to attend their smear test. Ashleigh was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer last year after having her first Smear and has recently been given the all clear. She is pictured here with her mum Nicola Andrew and her son Bobbi Elliott, four. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 6

Ashleigh, aged 25, from Balby was the inspirational speaker at the event at Town Fields on Sunday, after fighting her own battle against cancer.

Ashleigh attended the event with her mum, Nicola Andrew, and her son, Bobbi Elliott, four, to take to the stage to tell people how she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer after her first ever smear test.

Front, Cherie Lambert and Mary Lambert (right), designed and made this Caterpillar costume for their friends and family members to wear to complete the Race for Life. Chloe Hull, Ellie Radley, Kirsty Radley, Antonia Turner, Louise Lambert, Helen Townsend and Harrison Turner, ten, also pictured.  Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 9Front, Cherie Lambert and Mary Lambert (right), designed and made this Caterpillar costume for their friends and family members to wear to complete the Race for Life. Chloe Hull, Ellie Radley, Kirsty Radley, Antonia Turner, Louise Lambert, Helen Townsend and Harrison Turner, ten, also pictured.  Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 9
Front, Cherie Lambert and Mary Lambert (right), designed and made this Caterpillar costume for their friends and family members to wear to complete the Race for Life. Chloe Hull, Ellie Radley, Kirsty Radley, Antonia Turner, Louise Lambert, Helen Townsend and Harrison Turner, ten, also pictured. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 9
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She was recently given the all clear after her treatment. Her mum was among those running the race.

Speaking on the stage, she asked the women taking part in the event to raise their hands if they had received an invitation for a smear test.

She told them: "If you're invited to your smear appointment, don't miss it. It is really important. It saved my life. Don't put it to one side."

In total, 900 people took part in the Race for Life, raising thousands of pounds between them for cancer research. Ashley did not run, because she is running in an event at Clumber Park.

The participants in this years Race for Life 5k, take part in a warm-up before the big event. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 13The participants in this years Race for Life 5k, take part in a warm-up before the big event. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 13
The participants in this years Race for Life 5k, take part in a warm-up before the big event. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP RaceForLife MC 13
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Among the more unusual outfits on show at this year's race was a 16-legged caterpillar, a costume which contained eight people.

The caterpillar was created by sisters Cherie Lambert and Mary Lambert, who were raising money in memory of their dad, who died of cancer last Christmas.

They designed and made the caterpillar costume for their friends and family members to wear alongside them. Six friends and relatives joined them in the costume, and completed the course at a walking pace.

Nicki Embleton, of Cancer Research UK, said: "It was a really great day and the Doncaster ladies did us proud!"