Grandma, 85, from Greater Manchester chosen as face of new Adidas advert

A ‘fit as a fiddle’ charity runner, 85, from Greater Manchester has been chosen to be one of the faces of a new Adidas advert.

Barbara Thackray, a grandmother from Altrincham, runs 10k twice a week to keep fit. She has been chosen — alongside the likes of Liverpool footballer, Mo Salah, Qatari hurdler Mariam Farid and Egyptian runner Khadija Hegazy in the new TV and YouTube advert — as one of the faces of to feature in it.

The retired college lecturer took up running eight years ago, aged 77, to raise funds for St Ann’s Hospice in Heald Green, Stockport.

She has been raising money for the hospice since her sister died there in the 1990s.

She said she watched the new advert ‘on a little screen’ and it was ‘fine’, adding: “So long as they were prepared to make a significant donation to St Ann’s Hospice, I felt ok about it.”

Ms Thackray has raised over £20,000 for St Ann’s Hospice in just a few short years, having been a champion of the organisation for over 10 years — including during her sister’s illness and eventual passing.

She’s not planning on stopping running any time soon.