An athlete from Hemel Hempstead, who beat a debilitating illness to run competitively again, has continued her comeback by clinching gold at a major European championships.
Sprinter Lesley-Ann Hopkins, 45, returned to winning form in international athletics last year after a five-year fight against the chronic fatigue syndrome ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).
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And at the European Masters' Indoor Championships in Helsinki in March, the Adeyfield athlete continued her comeback by winning gold for Great Britain in a sprint relay.
Lesley-Ann, who competes in the Masters' category level for ages 45-49, said: "It's really made the whole battle worthwhile. I'm still pinching myself – everything went into that race.
"It's just fantastic."
At Helsinki, Lesley-Ann won gold in the women's 4x200m sprint relay and took bronze in the final of the 400m.
The triumph on the track came after the athlete's achievement at the Masters' Championships in Poland in August last year, where she took two silver medals in sprint events.
That success marked a comeback for the sprinter after her long-running battle against ME – an illness that at one stage left her so weak she was unable to walk around the running track at Jarman Park in Hemel Hempstead.
Lelsey-Ann, who works as a personal trainer at Esporta in Hemel Hempstead, continues to suffer periodic relapses, but says she now knows how to keep her condition under control.
She said: "It's a very fine line - I have to really listen to my body."
The athlete said she is hoping to smash her own 400m record at the Eastern Masters' Championships in June and hopes to compete at both the British Masters' Championships in Birmingham in July and the World Masters' Championships in Italy in September.
Lesley-Ann is looking for sponsorship from local businesses to help finance her bid to bring home more medals for Britain.
If you can help, call Lesley-Ann on 07973 118803.
