Two siblings from Norfolk are running this year's Norwich Race for Life in memory of their big sister who died of breast cancer.

Norwich Evening News: Sarah Berry and Paula Rickwood will be joining the Norwich Race for Life in honour of their sister Ali Grant, who died of breast cancer. Picture: Mark HewlettSarah Berry and Paula Rickwood will be joining the Norwich Race for Life in honour of their sister Ali Grant, who died of breast cancer. Picture: Mark Hewlett (Image: © 2013 Mark Hewlett)

Paula Rickwood, 50, from Dereham, and Sarah Berry, 48, from Topcroft, near Bungay, are determined to keep Ali Grant's memory alive after she died in November 2017, just a week before her 49th birthday.

They are taking on the Pretty Muddy event on Saturday, May 11 at the Norfolk Showground – a mud-filled charity obstacle course in aid of Cancer Research UK – because they know seeing them covered in mud would have made Ms Grant smile and because they want to keep laughing for her.

The mum of two, who was from Cromer, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2014. After her initial treatment went well she received devastating news two years later after a scan showed her cancer had returned and spread.

Her identical twin Ms Rickwood said: 'We were very close. When Ali moved away to Leicester for a while, I couldn't eat for two weeks. It was like losing my right arm. We would sometimes find ourselves ringing each other at the same time and picking up before there was even a ring tone.

Norwich Evening News: Paula Rickwood, Sarah Berry and Ali Grant at the beach together. Picture: Courtesy of Race for LifePaula Rickwood, Sarah Berry and Ali Grant at the beach together. Picture: Courtesy of Race for Life (Image: Race for Life)

'After she died I buried myself in my work. I was on autopilot but I know Ali would have said 'get a grip and get on with things' and that she'd want us to live life to the full, that's why we want to do Race for Life for her.'

This year will be the sisters' 16th consecutive year of supporting Race for Life events in Norwich – it will be the second they've done since losing their sister to cancer.

Calling themselves 'The Power of Love' – after Ali's favourite song – they will take on the mud-covered obstacle course in her memory.

The traditional 5k and 10k Race for Life events will take place the following day on Sunday, May 12.

Norwich Evening News: Sarah Berry and Paula Rickwood will be joining the Norwich Race for Life in honour of their sister Ali Grant, who died of breast cancer. Picture: Mark HewlettSarah Berry and Paula Rickwood will be joining the Norwich Race for Life in honour of their sister Ali Grant, who died of breast cancer. Picture: Mark Hewlett (Image: © 2013 Mark Hewlett)

Ms Berry said: 'Ali was full of joy, care, love and giving. You always expect to be together, it was always the three of us and you assume it always will be. You always think you'll have time. We know that by joining Race for Life it can't help us, Ali can't come back, but to continue the fight may mean that someone else's loved one could stay.'