Tracy Edwards medal saved by mystery donor

A mystery donor paid £10,000 for the medal and asked her to keep it

Yachting legend Tracy Edwards has been saved by a mystery donor from selling the medal she won 30 years ago to keep her girls' education charity running.

The £10,000 donation will help the Maiden Factor Foundation keep helping girls into education around the world.

Edwards, originally from Pangbourne, Berkshire, made history in 1990 leading the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

She said she was "blown away" by the donor's generosity.

The all-female crew, pictured during the Whitbread Round the World Race

In March this year, a three-year world tour of the restored yacht, which began in November 2018, was scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The charity quickly began to struggle financially due to fundraising events having to be cancelled, and Edwards launched a crowdfunder appeal to save the campaign.

The Whitbread medal was put up for sale as part of a reward in exchange for a £2,000 donation.

She said: "I felt I couldn't ask people to help out unless I was willing to step up and be counted myself."

But on Wednesday a mystery donor paid £10,000 for the medal and asked Edwards to keep it.

She said: "It's not so much about keeping the medal, it's about the fact there is a human being out there with such an amazing heart.

"There is just such a massive amount of support and kindness towards Maiden which is something she really generates - she's so special and people see that."

A Bafta-nominated documentary was made about the crew

About 130 million girls have no access to school, which Edwards said was set to rise due to disadvantaged girls being most at risk of not returning to school following the pandemic.

"That's catastrophic, we can't let that happen," she said.

"We've got to keep the pressure up because equality in education is key to everything."

So far the charity's crowdfunder Keep Maiden Moving has so far raised more than £64,000 of a £150,000 target.

The charity plans to restart the three-year world tour in March next year.