Jane Tomlinson received an MBE in recognition of her charity work

The brave mother of three is starting a year-long bid to raise a further �1m for charity, she revealed.

Mrs Tomlinson, 41, from Rothwell, Leeds, had announced she was retiring from charity work last year.

She plans to take part in a series of events over the coming year culminating in her most ambitious event to date to add to the �1.2m already raised.

The 26-mile challenge on 6 November will be the fourth marathon Jane Tomlinson has taken on since being diagnosed with terminal cancer five years ago.

She said: "We thought we could manage one more year and raise as much money as we can with the idea that if we did that we would not do anything further because it is such a tiring thing to do.

This is something I can do to help other families who are in unfortunate circumstances Jane Tomlinson

"We could not go on doing it indefinitely."

Jane said training for the New York Marathon has been the hardest event she has had to prepare for as she was starting from a low level of fitness and had just 12 weeks to train.

She was prevented from doing any sport after slipping off a kerb and breaking her ankle during her first training run following chemotherapy in April.

"It has been hard work following chemotherapy but it has been something to aim for to get back to that level of fitness. Chemo really did knock me for six," she added.

"When I started, it really was a matter of teaching my body to run a mile again and strengthen my ankle."

Husband Mike, 45, said what his wife has achieved over the past few weeks had been "absolutely astonishing".

Inner strength

"When she was training before, she had the heart and lungs of an athlete but she lost all that with the chemotherapy.

"On top of that she has a heart condition so I think this has been the hardest thing she has had to get herself ready for and all in 12 weeks.

"It has taken some inner strength. She is a remarkable woman, I have never seen this kind of inner strength before."

And Jane added: "Things haven't changed for me. The future still isn't positive but this is something I can do to help other families who are in unfortunate circumstances.

"I think that is still what drives me on."