No stopping cancer victim Jen's family

Dec 3 2010 By Lawrence Poole, Buckinghamshire Examiner

louise goodridge

CANCER victim Jen Goodridge's family took part in the Chesham Santa Dash last weekend to raise cash.

Three months after the 24-year-old's death from cervical cancer, her in-laws have continued to raise cash for cervical cancer charity, Jo's Trust.

The pair have shed a combined 13 stone this year in tribute to Jen, who lived in Amersham.

Louise and Gary Goodridge also tackled the Santa Dash in tribute to their daughter-in-law.

Mrs Goodridge also took part in the adidas Women's 5km Challenge earlier this year, before tackling the Rugged Radnage 10km on November 21. She now has her sights set on the adidas half marathon in March, but her ultimate aim is to run the London Marathon in 2012.

A regular runner around Amersham, she is becoming quite the face about town too.

"We are continuing to lose weight and get fit and hopefully raising awareness of cervical cancer - I hope to have lost another two stone by March.

"When I am training, I run in a Jo's Trust T-shirt, and I think I am becoming a bit of a familiar figure around the streets in Amersham as some people are now waving at me as I run past."

Away from the fitness regime, Mrs Goodridge has been busy in the kitchen too.

"We had a cake sale at Stagecoach Amersham last Friday," she explained.

"I made all the cakes and we sold them after the students' end-of-term performance and we raised £111."

* The Examiner launched the Jen's Final Wish campaign after hearing about Jen's premature death to raise awareness about the treatment available to teenage girls and young women to prevent cervical cancer being contracted.

If you would like to donate money to Louise and Gary's Jo's Trust fund, go to www.justgiving.com/forJen.