Race for Life: Woman named in top three solo fundraisers

Raj Bhogal, 45, from Basingstoke, recently participated in the Race for Life held in the War Memorial Park on Sunday, May 26.

Raj, who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 24 years, raised a whopping £1,300 for charity.

Speaking about her fundraising, Raj told the Gazette: "I wanted to set myself a challenge and give back into the community. I set myself a target of £1,000 as on the fundraising page it states that this amount helps with innovations and imaging software.

READ MORE: PHOTOS: Race for Life Basingstoke participants raise more than £100k

Raj crosses the finish line (Image: Sean Dillow)

"Cancer is so prevalent and I know friends and family members that have been directly impacted. I wanted to contribute to raising awareness and also support Cancer Research UK."

Admitting she "hadn't really prepared for it," Raj added: "I completed it in 28 minutes and the adrenaline kicked in as I crossed the finish line.

"I was so pleased. After finishing it I felt a great sense of accomplishment and recognised that if you put your mind to it you can do whatever you want to.

"It was inspiring to see how many people participated and how much Basingstoke has been raising, it was so uplifting and a memorable and rewarding day."

Raj, who is "passionate about science and supporting research and development to bring innovative medicines to help improve the lives of patients," said that she "really wants to make a difference," and has been doing so over the years by completing various fundraisers.

She said: "I did a sky dive in September 2023 and raised over £2,200. That was an epic experience and it inspired me to take a flying lesson.

"I want to continue to raise money for charity but I'm not sure what’s next.

"I want to say a huge thank you to all those that sponsored a great cause and a huge thank you to my husband and son for their support."