‘If you put your mind to it, you can do it’: Upwell lady raises more than £4,500 after running her first London Marathon at the age of 63

A keen runner took on a 26.2-mile challenge to raise money for a charity close to her heart.

Sally Fawkes, 63, from Upwell, took part in her first London Marathon in her dad's memory and raised more than £4,500 for the British Heart Foundation.

She wanted to take on the challenge and raise money for the charity while running in memory of her dad, Harold Bridgefoot who had a heart attack 28 years ago, as well as her husband who has received treatment at Papworth Hospital.

Sally never dreamed that she would get to participate in the marathon as well as be capable of doing it or securing a place.

After eight years of trying to get a place, she was accepted last year.

Sally said: “I’m absolutely over the moon.

“If you put your mind to it, you can do it.”

One of Sally’s biggest and proudest things is her age. She never thought she would be able to complete it at the age of 63 and thought she would have to complete it by probably walking but she was able to run the whole way to the finishing line and in a time of six hours and nine minutes.

She added: “My goal was not to need to walk, and I did not.

“It was less about the running but more about the appreciation of the people that have donated and how kind they have been.”

Sally, who enjoys running, joined her village running club, Up and Out Ladies Running Club, when she was 50, and then in the last few years she joined Three Countries Running Club to do a bit more running and get better at it, but never thought she could push herself and do something as big as a marathon.

She added: “I just really want to thank everyone for their donations, sponsorships, encouragement, and support, the whole village has supported me.

“I thank everybody in both of the running clubs too, who have encouraged me to run and do my best.

“I am very pleased and proud to say I have completed it and raised such a lot of money as well.”