A FREAK accident while skiing and an encounter on a return to the slopes provided the catalyst for a marathon effort by a brave Lymm woman.

When Caroline Benson fell while skiing on holiday in early 2000, she broke her back and both legs and when she contracted MRSA while in the French hospital treating her, it meant six months in plaster as she recovered.

Ten years on and then living in Vancouver for a year with husband Alex and daughters Laura and Emma, she returned to the slopes.

“We were there when Paralympic athletes were training ahead of the Winter Olympics,” said Caroline.

“And I saw this one skiier fall and thought I should go to help, but he just got back up.

“I have been extremely lucky and decided that I wanted to do something myself.”

While still in Canada she applied to run this year’s London Marathon – the first time she had ever done such a race.

The 45-year-old returned to Lymm with her family last year and started training.

But her bad luck struck again when she first pulled a calf muscle while training in the snow in January before succumbing to a stomach bug which forced her to take a number of toilet stops during the marathon last month.

She finished the race in six hours, 43 minutes and 17 seconds – and she has entered the ballot to run again next year.

She said: “It was amazing to know I could do it because I didn’t think I was capable.

“I met some amazing people along the way – a couple holding hands all the way with a picture of their baby in an incubator on their back and also the police officer shot by Raul Moat.

“I feel very fortunate and I was overwhelmed by how friendly people were.”

She has already raised £3,000 for the Spinal Injuries Association, and money is still coming in.

* You can sponsor her at virgingiving.com/carolinebenson.