Footballer's cancer discovered after spider shock

Amy Carr received a combined treatment of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and extensive physiotherapy to regain her mobility and speech

A former England footballer who was diagnosed with a brain tumour after collapsing at the sight of a spider, has run a marathon for charity.

Amy Carr, from Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, raised more than £2,000 for Brain Tumour Research by running the Dublin Marathon on Sunday.

In 2015, an MRI scan showed a high-grade tumour the size of a golf ball growing on her brain.

"I knew I didn't like spiders but blacking out seemed like an extreme response," said Ms Carr.

"I'd never reacted that way to anything before.

'Comme ci, comme ca'

The 33-year-old recalled how she walked "frantic laps" around her bedroom after seeing the spider and within 18 months had two further instances where she lost consciousness at the gym.

She then had a craniotomy to remove as much of the tumour as possible, which left her unable to walk and talk for eight days.

"The first time I spoke was in response to the nurses asking me how I was. I replied with my GCSE grade C French of comme ci, comme ca. The next day I was back to speaking English."

She went on to have combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy and extensive physiotherapy to regain her mobility and speech.

"Nothing could prepare me from its brutality... it got better but it was hard."

Amy Carr ran the Dublin Marathon on Sunday, marking an impressive turnaround following her cancer treatment

At the time of her diagnosis, Ms Carr was playing professional football for IL Sandviken in Norway.

She previously lived in Chicago, USA, after gaining a football scholarship.

Ms Carr earned 16 caps as a goalkeeper for England under-17s and under-19s, and also played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Reading.

"I used to be able to kick and throw a ball from the goal to the halfway line, now I can't... I'm still working on my coordination," she said.

She now coaches a group of 16 year olds at Goalkeeper Warz in Milton Keynes.

"I don't want anyone else to go through what I have and the only way we can do that is by investing money into researching brain tumours."