A TEAM of Manchester cancer scientists are swapping lab coats for space hoppers at Cancer Research UK’s Pretty Muddy obstacle course at Heaton Park on Saturday 14 July.

And for the one of the scientists, the cause is deeply personal.

Toni Banyard from Withington is a researcher in advanced imaging at Cancer Research UK’s Manchester Institute at Alderley Park. 

Her partner Rob, 52, was rushed to A&E with severe stomach pains in March and diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer just hours later.

The 47-year-old said: “It was a huge shock. The doctors found tumours in different parts of his bowel, so they had to act quickly.”

Rob had his bowel surgically removed at Wythenshawe Hospital and is currently being treated with chemotherapy at The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Toni added: “As a scientist in the lab, it can be easy for us to lose sight sometimes of the reasons behind the work we do. But when Rob was told he had cancer, the disease became very real.”

Toni’s cousin – who is the same age as her – was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and has undergone a mastectomy to remove a tumour from her breast and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Toni said: “The past few months have been a whirlwind of emotions and having loved-ones with cancer certainly puts everything into perspective. However, we are very positive people and determined to get on with our lives.”

She has now rallied together a group of fellow cancer scientists to take part in Cancer Research UK’s Pretty Muddy 5k on Saturday 14 July, to raise money to support research into the disease.

Sapna Lunj, Tiana Kordbacheh and Rachael Thompson all work with Toni at Cancer Research UK’s Manchester Institute – currently housed at Alderley Park while re-development work takes place at The Christie – and will be joining her at the event.

Sapna, 37 – who grew up in Didsbury – will be taking part in honour of her grandmother and auntie, who have both been successfully treated for breast cancer.

Tiana, 33 – who lives in Chorlton – will be running for her auntie who has been treated twice for breast cancer. And Rachael, 34 – who lives in Knutsford – is honouring the many cancer patients she meets in her job as a haemotology registrar.

Toni said: “We have all been touched by cancer in some way and Pretty Muddy seems like the perfect way to show our support for the cause.”

The 5k mud-splattered obstacle course includes space hoppers, scramble nets and inflatable slides – a world away from the science lab!

Toni is also keen to encourage fellow Mancunians to run alongside her to raise money for the charity.

She said: “We have a lot of work to do to understand this disease and I want to encourage as many people as possible to join the fight and sign up to the race in Manchester.

“The event really focuses your mind on why we do what we do and it’s great to have the support of fellow colleagues to raise money to help beat this disease.

“As scientists, we simply couldn’t do our work without the effort and time people give to take part in events like this.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring series of 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events. The Pretty Muddy 5k and Kids will be taking place at Heaton Park, Manchester on Saturday 13 July and the Race for Life 5k and 10k on Sunday 14 July. To enter, visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 12307700.

Anna Taylor, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for the North West, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Toni and her fellow scientists for taking part in Pretty Muddy. Every mucky step they take will help bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work relies on the public’s support. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the charity was able to spend around £28m last year in the North West on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research – helping more men, women and children survive.