AFTER being in a life-threatening car crash less than two years ago, a Lye woman is now hoping to re-pay the air ambulance crew that saved her.

Lucy Dawkins, a PE teacher at Haybridge High School, ran 26.2 miles around the streets of the capital at the weekend to complete the London Marathon in aid of Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance as well as Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance.

She has currently raised £10,202.46 for the two causes who airlifted her to University Hospital Coventry after the horror smash.

Lucy said: “I owe my life to the air ambulance services. If it wasn’t for them I might not be here today.”

At the time of the crash on October 13, 2013, Lucy was travelling on the M42 near Tamworth when her car aquaplaned on surface water during bad weather conditions.

Her car collided with the hard shoulder barrier before rebounding into the central reservation, causing extensive damage.

The crash left the 25-year-old with a fractured skull but she has since made a full recovery, with the loss of her sense of smell the only lasting damage.

Lucy said: “I originally hoped to raise £5,000, but I have already passed the £10,000 mark, so now I just hope to raise as much as I can.

“Before competing in the London Marathon I arranged quite a few fundraising activities. My dad took part in a 24-hour spinathon, we put on a three-course dinner for 60 guests at our local village hall and we also held various cake sales.

“The marathon was really good. I completed it in four hours 53 minutes, which was under my target time of five hours, and I was really tired at the end of it but was absolutely happy to finish.

“The brilliant training I had received from Stourbridge Running Club has really paid off. Without their support the daunting run would have been much more difficult.

“My mum and dad were down there supporting me and I managed to spot them and give them a wave when coming down The Mall.”

Lucy has already set her sights on her next fundraising challenges, including large scale marathons in Boston and New York, as well as a Half Ironman, which involves a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.

To support Lucy in her fundraising quest for the air ambulance services and donate, visit www.justgiving.com/givefordawko