Disabled woman takes on superhero themed triathlon

Trish Brookes will be taking on the triathlon dressed as Wonder Woman

A woman who damaged her spine in a fall in the bathtub four years ago is preparing to take on a heroic fundraising challenge.

Trish Brookes, from Crewe, Cheshire, has previously abseiled down the Anfield stadium in Liverpool and swam with sharks in support of the Spinal Injuries Association.

Doctors told her she might lose the ability to walk, but that has not held her back – and on Friday she will be attempting a triathlon in Windsor.

Described as the only event of its kind in the country, The Superhero Tri sees people with and without disabilities taking part alongside one another.

Ms Brookes, who requires crutches and at times a wheelchair to help her get about, said she felt her spinal cord injury had led her to take on challenges she might not otherwise have had the chance to do.

She said she would be dressed as Wonder Woman for the triathlon challenge.

"Why not dress up, make the most of the opportunity?"

Ms Brookes has taken on a number of charity challenges since having her spinal injury

The event will involve a 150m (492 ft) swim in a lake, followed by a three-mile tandem bike ride which Ms Brookes will do with her husband.

The race will finish with a "sprint" element, which she will be walking.

"Physically it's so draining, my body will take a couple of weeks afterwards really before it'll feel as normal as I can get," she told BBC Radio Stoke.

She said she wanted to raise money and awareness for the Spinal Injuries Association - an organisation she admitted she had not heard of prior to her injury.

"Knowing that they're there in the background, and seeing the work that they do, I don't think I'd be who I am now without them," she said.

In addition to the triathlon, in September Ms Brookes will be abseiling 90ft off an old railway bridge in the Peak District, which will be combined with a mile-long canoe race across a lake.

Her online fundraising page has passed £1,000 so far but she hopes to raise more before completing the challenges.