TWO sisters who lost their parents to cancer within six months of each other are gearing up to take on 17km of pain in their memory.

Jodie and Hannah Greenwood were teenagers when their dad John, 70, died of cancer that had affected many of his organs in 2004.

Six months to the day later, their mum Annette, 51, died of breast cancer.

A decade on, the sisters have started training to take on the 17km Nettle Warrior course through fire, electric wiring and stinging nettles.

Jodie, 26, of Wakes Colne, and Hannah, 24, of Tiptree, have raised more than £1,000 for Cancer Research UK and hope to double the total.

The pair, who have done the Race for Life, in Castle Park, for the past five years, are training morning and night, six nights a week, in the hope of completing the course in July.

Hannah, a Colchester Institute fashion and textiles student, said she and Jodie, who runs Colchester BodyArts, on North Hill, wanted to take on a special challenge in honour of their parents.

She said: “We want to stop people losing their loved ones like we did. That’s why Cancer Research is so important.

It’s the one that will hopefully eventually cure it.”

The challenge will take place on the Tough Guy course near Wolverhampton.

The course features up to 200 obstacles to climb over or crawl under, coupled with mud, fire and the occasional jolt of electricity.

As this event is entitled Nettle Warrior, predictably enough, extra miles through stinging nettles have been added.

To support the pair, visit justgiving.com/jhgreen wood