A MUM with Asperger syndrome has raised £500 for the National Autistic Society by taking on the "hardest challenge" of her life.

Sandra Johnson, of Merivale Road in Lawford completed the Brighton Marathon after undergoing a test to see if she was on the autism spectrum.

The 46-year-old has six children, five of which are on the spectrum at varying levels so said she already had an idea of how she would score.

It was the support of the autism charity that helped her through, something she wanted to pay back by taking on the marathon.

Sandra said: "I wasn't as fast as I wanted to be and it was very hard but I managed to run over the finish line.

"To be honest it was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life.

"Even with all my training I wasn't fully prepared for how hard it was, or the fact the first half was all uphill, or the pain.

"But I knew I was being tracked on the app and supported because my phone was buzzing like crazy every 5km, so even when I couldn't actually run I kept moving forward.

"I raised a total of just under £500 with a bit more to come in over the next few weeks."

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Sandra-Johnson14