SUPERFIT Rachel Edwards is taking part in a charity run in memory of her late father, who died of a heart attack after being set upon by a gang of youths.

Rachel, aged 28, is to compete in the Lostock 6, a 10-kilometre run, for the second successive year.

Rachel and her husband, Barrie, who own the Xclusive Health and Fitness Centre in Great Lever, raised £1,300 last year, when they ran the Lostock 6 for the special care baby unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

There efforts were as a special thank you for the unit, where their daughter Libbie was born by emergency Caesarean.

Now, Rachel is setting her sights high for this year's run, when she hopes to raise money for the Horwich New Heart Club, for which her father, John Mills, was a tireless fundraiser.

"We want to raise as much as possible," she said.

"This was a cause that was very important to my dad and we donated money from his funeral towards it. It's really important to me and I'm running it as a tribute to him."

Her father began raising money for Horwich New Heart Club after he suffered a heart attack and underwent a triple by-pass operation, when he was aged 39.

Mr Mills, who ran a painting and decorating business, was violently attacked by a group of teenagers when he intervened in a scuffle outside a fast food takeaway in Horwich, in March, 1999. He suffered a heart attack and died, aged 50.

Rachel said: "I was absolutely devastated by my father's death, but I think he would be very proud that I'm raising money for a charity that meant so much to him.

"I would urge people to support us as much as possible."

Anyone who wants to sponsor Rachel or Barrie, or take part in the run, can get more information by calling into their gym, which is based in The Swan Centre, in Higher Swan Lane, Great Lever.

The Lostock 6 will take place on February 25, starting at the Bromilow Arms, Lostock.