Marathon competitor Lynn Ashton achieves marathon goal

Lynn Ashton's lungs were damaged in a fire at her home in Huntingdon, Cambs, on Christmas Day six years ago.

On Thursday afternoon, the 45-year-old completed the 26.2-mile course pushing her oxygen in a trolley and raising �5,000 for the British Lung Foundation.

After crossing the finish line, the grandmother said it was one of the best and most emotional days of her life.

"I feel very emotional and very tired, but very pleased I've done it and I don't regret a minute of it," she said.

Bed for a week

She decided to take part in the marathon after members of the support group she runs, Hunts Breathe for Life, gave her a medal for completing a sponsored walk.

"I joked I will make that a real London Marathon medal one day and we all had a laugh. But I'm always up for a challenge," she said.

Her lungs were damaged when a candle set light to a plastic table cloth and she inhaled the fumes. She has needed oxygen 24 hours a day since.

Now the mother-of-three plans to go home and retreat to bed for a week. "I'm not going to enter anything like this again, but I've said that a lot of times so you never know," she said.