Clayton-le-Woods mums do Manchester Marathon for The British Scoliosis Society

Penny Lockwood and Rachael Waring, whose children attend Brindle St James’ Primary School, will be taking on the 26-mile challenge this Sunday, April 7 for The British Scoliosis Society, as Penny’s daughter, Hollie, has the condition.

Penny, 41, of Clayton-le-Woods, said: “When Hollie was two she struggled with running, compared with her younger brother, so we knew something was not quite right.

“We thought it may have been a hip problem, but after an x-ray, doctors told us it was scoliosis.

“Hollie needs to wear a full body brace, from her hips to her chest, for 23 hours a day. It doesn’t cure it, but it prevents her spine bending even further as she grows.

“It affects her balance and sometimes she is a bit uncomfortable with the back brace, but she is still able to take part in the activities she loves.

“She goes swimming and she also does half an hour of ballet. As she is allowed one hour a day without the brace, we make the use of it with these activities.

“We want to highlight that you can still do things if you have scoliosis.

“Thankfully, Hollie is a laid back character and so she does not battle with it. There are times she wants the brace off but she copes with it all.

“There is a lack of research in the medical world about scoliosis and so that is why I want to raise money for the society.

“It is lovely to have Rachael, 35, with me to do the marathon. We have really bonded and it has grown from a quick chat in the playground at school to a good friendship.

“We hope to raise £500. We have done lots of training for it, so we should find it easy.”

To support Penny and Rachael, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/waringlockwoodTo read more about the condition click here: ‘My nasty cough turned out to be scoliosis’