SARAH Jenkins battled sandstorms, extreme heat and sickness during an epic fundraiser for St Michael’s Hospice – and says it was the goodwill messages from back home that spurred her on.

The St Michael’s supporter is back home in Herefordshire after completing the Marathon de Sables, known as the Toughest Footrace on Earth.

The six-day journey saw her run 250kms across the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert, with one stage an energy-sapping 90kms.

"After the first day I was quite poorly," she said. "I felt quite happy with how things had gone, but then I fell ill.

"Day Three was my favourite day. There were some beautiful views. Finishing the following day, the longest stage, gave me the biggest sense of relief though. I knew then that I had just one longish day left."

It wasn’t just during each stage that Sarah’s endurance was pushed to the limit.

Sandstorms proved a hazard during the night, leaving everything coated in fine Saharan sand.

The copious litres of water consumed each day were far from cold, too.

But amid all this, Sarah looked forward to the end of each day as she knew messages from home would be waiting for her when she arrived at camp.

"There was a discernible rise in the mood when people received their messages from home," she added.

Sarah was one of just 1,000 or so people from around the world to clinch a spot on the Marathon de Sables, and her remarkable endeavours have helped her raise almost £3,000 for St Michael’s.

She can still be sponsored by visiting justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-jenkins50