A WOMAN from Frampton Cotterell with spinal cord injuries recently completed a non-stop 100km charity walk.

Lisa Young was a keen hill walker before she experienced a massive disc herniation in her lower back in 2015.

The injury caused damage to Lisa’s spinal cord, which meant that her walking became restricted to relatively short distances.

However on the first weekend of July this year, Lisa set out to complete the Cotswold Way Challenge – a 100km charity walk that starts in Bath and finishes in Cheltenham.

The terrain is off-road and far from flat, so Lisa initially had reservations about whether she would make the full 100km within her target of 33 hours.

Amazingly, however, she completed the challenge in just 28 hours and nine minutes - finishing within the top 25 per cent of walkers overall.

 “It’s the hardest things I’ve ever done, both mentally and physically but an amazing experience,” Lisa said.

“The route was completely and utterly brutal, with hot and humid weather for most of the time.

“I was one of many who got stopped a couple of times by medics at rest stops until we were passed fit to continue, but despite the unplanned hold ups, I finished 504th out of more than 2000 people who took part.

“My overall time was 28 hours and nine mins, but with a “moving” time of 22 hours and 29 minutes.”

Lisa chose to raise money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) after her team at work chose GWAAC as their charity of the year.

She raised a total of £1520 (plus gift aid), including a £500 donation by her employer, Lloyds Banking Group.

A spokeswoman for GWAAC said: “It costs £2.6million a year to stay operational, and GWAAC receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

“It is through the generosity of the public and individuals such as Lisa, which has enabled the charity to stay operational and keep saving lives.

“It is with great thanks to Lisa and the Lloyds Banking Group for their support and generosity towards the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity this year.

“Their generosity has helped to allow the team to continue providing life-saving care across the region.”

Further fundraising activities are planned for Air Ambulance Week in September.

To find out more visit www.gwaac.com.