NFU MUTUAL employee Gill Ball from Berthengam near Prestatyn, will be joining thousands of people across the UK to run the London Marathon on April 26.

In November Gill, who works at the Chester office of large rural insurer NFU Mutual, decided to run this incredible distance in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

She moved to North Wales in April 2006 and lives near to several of the lifeboat stations, and is well aware of how dangerous the sea can be.

When Gill’s brother, David, was 12 years old, he was swept out to sea in a dinghy after having lost his oars and was rescued by the RNLI.

Gill’s fundraising target for the charity is £2,100 and she is undertaking many activities to reach this figure. She has already received generous donations from her work colleagues.

Gill said: “People think I’m mad doing this and frankly, I agree. However, it is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and it’s for a very worthy charity. I think the fact that two out of three people in the UK go to the seaside at least once a year demonstrates a real need for the RNLI to be there for us at all times.

“And now that Paula Radcliffe is out of the race, I think I’m in with a real chance!”

You can support Gill by visiting the website www.justgiving.com/gillball.