It was an early start on Sunday to get to Race For Life on the Plymouth Hoe for 11am. I was doing a spot onstage and the local paper had 'bigged me up' before the event so I was hoping that some old friends would come and support me as well as my family. I took part in the event too (my 3rd so far this year) and I had been really good on my Janeplan diet all week under the watchful eye of my mum…I even turned down a free pasty – not easy for a Devon girl! For this special occasion my clever mum even made me a brand new pink tutu and I bought a new pink Snuggie in case it got chilly (I do have some blanket with sleeves jokes too so I'm not entirely crazy!).
It had been raining all week, but what do you know, Sunday was perfect! Not a drop of rain, and I even got a little sunburnt! I set off with Mum, my auntie, niece and cousins and followed the sea of pink to the top of Plymouth Hoe. There were stunning views over the water and the famous lighthouse Smeaton’s Tower – it was a perfect setting.
Heart FM were hosting the event and as soon as the presenters announced a chance to win Take That tickets, you should have seen the queue of hopeful ladies form! About 4,500 women were taking part today and they gathered around the stage for my set. I had a little pep talk from my eight-year-old niece beforehand, 'good luck Auntie Suzy, I hope you don't ruin the jokes!' She was taking part and had drawn pictures on the commemorative sign many women run with on their back saying she was racing 'for the children'. She had a lovely tutu on as well…guess who made that one? Clever nanny! I really enjoyed my set, had a mingle with the crowd and took lots of pictures of great costumes. My faves were the oompa loompas and girls in wedding dresses. Special thanks to my sister-in-law Katie Bennett who was our photographer for the day and got some amazing snaps you can check out on the facebook page!
Mum and my Auntie Betty had pink t-shirts specially made with 'Let’s Go Girls' on the front. My brother, nephew, sister-in-law, cousin, and auntie had all come to show their support. My little cousin Emily had a yellow tutu on – rebelling against the pink! Some friends popped by to say hi but I was particularly pleased to see Sulina’s sister Katie with her beautiful little two-year-old girl Rosie-Sulina. It meant a lot to all of us as we were walking with Sulina’s name and picture. We thought maybe Sulina kept the rain away that day!
It was a lovely walk along the seafront, trying to ignore the tempting smells of fish and chips! Lots of ladies chatted and enjoyed the day with many messages of hope and love on their backs. There were even babies and dogs with pink ribbons along the course. We finished in about an hour, and the little ones were pleased with their medals, although they looked a tad confused at the Bodyform in their goody bags! All in all we had a great day that left us with aching legs – we resisted the fish pedicures being offered as part of the event. Mum said as she has psoriasis she’d be there a while…and the fish would get full up….gross!
The next Race For Life is Richmond on 25th and 26th – looking forward to it!
Suzy B
