Former Gloucester resident Sonja Demuth will be running the Arizona Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon on Jan. 20 to raise money for the American Cancer Society and for a scholarship named in memory of her mom, Sally Demuth, who died of ovarian cancer last year.

"The reason why I choose to do all this is because I didn’t want more people to go through what I had to go through seeing my mom pass away with cancer," she said. "The hardest part was seeing her in such a weakened state in the end—it is definitely not how you want to remember one of your heroes."

It was Sally who motivated her daughter to become an engineer and an officer in the U.S. Air Force, two milestones that became realities.

"I have done multiple races and have raised money for multiple charities while doing training for these races," Sonja said. She said she couldn’t have done any of it without the help of friends and family.

Looking back, Sonja knows her mom is in a better place a...