THE great niece of Pete Postlethwaite hopes to help in the fight to stamp out cancer by pounding the streets of London to complete her first marathon.

Emily Williams, of Greenings Court, was inspired to take part in the charity challenge following the death of the Warrington-born actor and her loving grandma Anne Williams.

The 26-year-old, who works for Unilever, said: “Our family miss them both dearly.

“There is a gap in our family without them which I’m sure other families can relate to. 

“I’m not just running for our family but for others too. 

“The more money we can raise to fight cancer, the faster we can find a cure and help keep families together for much longer.”

Despite having little running experience Emily decided to sign up last year for the London Marathon in memory of her two much-loved relatives.

She added: “After losing Uncle Pete several years ago now, I didn’t think our family could be cursed with cancer again. 

“But my nan was then diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time and this time it was inoperable. 

“I decided to apply for the London Marathon for Cancer Research as I wanted to contribute to help others.

“I also knew it would be a ridiculously hard challenge for me as I have no running experience at all.”

But in July Emily’s grandma lost her battle to beat cancer – this only fuelled her determination to make sure she crosses the finish line on Sunday, April 23.

She said: “All I could hope for was that I’d get the opportunity to run in her memory as well as Pete’s. 

“Then September came around and I got the email – I’d got in.”

Emily is now spending any spare time she has on training to make sure she is fully prepared for the 26-mile challenge, armed with the memories of her loved ones.

“I have fond memories of my nan on our weekly Saturday trip to hers and my grandad’s house,” she said. 

“She always had a smile on her face and never let anyone lift a finger.
“She loved filling my siblings, my cousins and I with custard cream biscuits.

“I never forget my family trip to see Uncle Pete at Christmas – his warm face, big eyes and lovely hugs and made all of us feel special. 

“He used to tell great stories too.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/Emily-Williams2017.