THIS time last year Emma Bowdidge was in the worst place imaginable - still reeling from losing her teenage brother Tom to a rare cancer three years before.

Sports became her solace as she battled to accept she was here and not him, but Tom, who raised £170,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust before dying, became her hero.

This month marks four years since his death and a turning point for Emma, who celebrates being 26 today having spent the last 12 months enduring 25 physical events to mark her 25th year.

Hangover cures became 100-mile bike rides on a Sunday morning only to do a half-marathon the following weekend.

Unsurprisingly, she will never do anything like this again, but her final hurrah at Blenheim Palace’s half marathon has created an understandable void.

“I felt so empty thinking what can I do next weekend?” the English teacher from West Bergholt said.

“There were mixed emotions in that I couldn’t wait to get my weekends back, but at the same time, I cried as I crossed the finish just for the fact I’d done it.

She added: “Last year I was in my lowest place. Everyone says it gets easier and I wasn’t finding that.

“I’ve always been active but it wasn’t about just living for one event because once it’s over, there’s an anticlimax. I needed something to keep me going for a whole year, and that was where the 25 challenges came from.

“I’m definitely a different person after it all.”

Halstead Gazette:

The Colchester Royal Grammar School pupil was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma in his peritoneum and pelvis

Emma’s plan was to raise £25,000 for the Tom Bowdidge Foundation, the family-run charity which helps fund research into teenage cancers, and provides emotional and physical support for young people with cancer.

But admittedly, the financial target just had a nice ring to it.

“I never thought I would get to £25,000, but it sounded nice,” she joked.

“Including Gift Aid I’ve raised just under £14,000 which is an amazing amount of money. Anything over £10,000 is phenomenal.”

Each of Emma’s challenges are listed on her Just Giving page with ‘DONE’ in bold capital letters next to it. These are as meaningful as her brother’s memory continues to be in her life.

He is gone, but never forgotten.

She said: “At every single event, I’ve felt him there. It sounds ridiculous but I say he’s in charge of the music on my iPod Shuffle.

“I’ll be running and struggling and say, ‘Come on Tom, put on something good’, then Simply the Best will come on.

“He’ll always be in my mind and by my side.”

As soon as next month, sports mad Emma will join 1,000 cyclists in Thetford for a tandem bike ride.

Then cue both the Colchester Half Marathon and the London Marathon next year.

She’s not finished yet.

To donate go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaBowdidge.