A WEE COUNTY teaching assistant is celebrating after raising thousands of pounds for charity by running this year’s London Marathon.

Sarah-Jane Burns was determined to lose weight which she had put on after getting married and in order to motivate herself, signed up the 26.2 mile run which took place at the end of April.

Not only did she complete the marathon and lose weight, but she also raised an incredible £4,000 for charity in the process.

The 42-year-old said of her achievements: “I lost a lot of weight for my wedding four years ago. Over the past couple of years the weight started to creep back on and I wasn’t happy after seeing a picture of myself after an event.

“I decided the only way I could lose weight was to get back on track and join WW (Weight Watchers) in Alloa. I knew that when I tracked what I was eating I would lose weight and keep it off.”

In October 2018 Sarah-Jane increased her activity levels and learned her application for the London Marathon had been accepted.

At Christmas her husband Gregor bought sessions with a running coach to ensure a training plan was in place to support and assist her training.

She said: “Having a coach prepare a plan just for you was inspiring, he would also message me weekly with his feedback on my progress. Having a plan to follow really helped me, it was like having a WW plan but for running.

“Training for the London Marathon is not easy especially when you have to train in the depths of a Scottish winter. I had to fit my training around work but found ways to fit it all in.”

Now, Sarah-Jane, who raised her money for Girlguides, is urging anyone who thinks they can’t change their life to believe that they can.

She said: “Anyone who is reading this and thinking they can’t change their life, you can. I have changed my life in so many ways, it is a lifestyle change and mine has changed for the better and forever.

“The day of the race was an amazing experience, everyone was really friendly and so supportive. I had been told that the crowds will support you round the race. This was so true, there were bands out on the course, people were calling out your name, I felt like a celebrity.”