A MANAGER at a dental practice in Sale will be tackling the Great Manchester Run for a reason very close to her heart.

Sophie Gaynor, aged 27, will be running on May 22 for Winston’s Wish, the childhood bereavement charity.

Sophie lost her own father when she was just two years old. Nine years later, when she was 11, Sophie’s mother also died.

Now Sophie is on a mission to raise awareness of Winston’s Wish and the invaluable support it provides to children and young people going through similar experiences in the North West. .

It’s her biggest physical challenge to date, but Sophie has already had a taste of what’s in store. She took part in three Race for Life 5Ks last year in aid of Cancer Research UK following the death of her aunt to cancer.

Sophie said: "“I lost both my parents at an early age and unfortunately didn’t receive any support. Running for a charity like Winston’s Wish is something I’m very passionate about. If anything happened to my daughter I would not want her to feel unsupported or alone.”

To support Sophie go to https://www.justgiving.com/Sophie-Gaynor.