Sylvia Herring suffers from a life-threatening and rare skin condition, but nothing will stop her running 62 miles in an ultra-marathon.

The Hedge End resident was one of only 10,000 people with Scleroderma in the UK when she was diagnosed two weeks before Christmas in 2017.

The condition causes over-production of scar tissue both externally and on major internal organs together with muscle wastage and stiffness, joint pain, aneamia, fatigue, gastric intestinal tract issues, acid reflux and extreme hyper sensitivity to the cold amongst other things. 

It is caused by the immune system attacking connective tissues under the skin and around internal organs and blood vessels which causes scarring and thickening of the tissue.

Despite this, the 44-year-old has not given up her passion for running and has set herself the target of raising £1 for every UK victim by taking part in ultra-marathon events.

All money will be donated to Scleroderma and Raynaud's UK (SRUK), a charity that helps those affected by Scleroderma in the UK.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Sylvia's condition however the symptoms can usually be controlled by a range of different treatments.

Married to husband John for seven years, Sylvia said: "When I was first diagnosed I was in denial. I did not really feel sick but I felt tired. When it sank in I was shell shocked."

She added: "I do not sleep very well because I am in so much pain.

"It's hard to be positive when you are always tired and I have a constant headache.

"I take 16 tablets a day, which excludes pain killers.

"The biggest issues for me in these very early days are acid reflux, heartburn, dietary issues, leg and muscle pain, chest pain, fatigue, joint pain, anaemia and hypersensitivity to the cold.

"My oesophagus is always bleeding and I have to take medication for acid reflux."

Sylvia says that her family have expressed concern at the toll taken by some of her sporting endeavours.

"Generally my family have been really supportive, but they give me a hard time when I push myself too much," she said.

"It took me nine weeks to recover after running the London marathon last year.

"My husband knows when I'm having a bad day. I try and hide the symptoms because I want to protect him.

"He has been really, really good. He has stepped up and now does things that he never used to like cooking.

"It's hard that he has been dumped into a situation that he did not ask for. Luckily my step-children are old enough that they do not rely on me for support. "

So far, she has raised £7,293 and has four-and-a-half months to meet her target of £10,000.

There is a lot Sylvia has had to sacrifice since her diagnosis, but not running. Sylvia will run in several high-profile endurance races this year, culminating in her ultimate challenge of the 100km Dixons Carphone Race to the Stones on July 13 and 14.

Her illness has made training a challenge, but Sylvia has soldiered on and her determination has been both inspiring and impressive.

In October the arches of her feet collapsed due to tightness in her Achilles heel and she was told not to run for six weeks. Then in early February she was struck by a virus and couldn’t run for another three weeks.

Sylvia said: “I am back on track now, although very slowly as my lungs are taking their time to get back to normal. I ran 54 Miles in February, a little bit short of my target miles but I’m ok with that!”

So far the marathon-runner has drummed up huge support.

She added: “My husband is running with me along with eight friends from my running club and two colleagues are walking it. They will all run at their own pace, as I am much slower than them but we will meet at base camp.”

When she is not running Sylvia likes going to the cinema and loves spending time with her family in Wales. Her condition has affected her social life making going out difficult, so instead, friends often visit her at home.

As deputy ranch manager for Selco builders merchants, Sylvia added: "My work has been awesome and let me put up posters and do cake-sales to raise money for charity. However, I have had some awful days at work with my head in the dustbin being sick. Sometimes I feel really nauseous."

The two-day ultra-marathon on July 13 and 14 will see more than 2,500 people run, jog or walk along the Ridgeway in Oxfordshire to the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire.

For people suffering from the same condition Sylvia said: “Keep fighting every day, move as much as you can and remain focused, however hard that is some days.”

After the ultra-marathon Sylvia plans to keep running but will cut down her distances.

To help Sylvia’s cause, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sylviasruk