London Marathon: Bristol student running after eating disorder

Student Ella White will be running the London Marathon in aid of the mental health charity Mind this April

A student who overcame an eating disorder will be running the London Marathon this April.

Ella White, 22, from Somerset, took all 22 of her GCSE exams in an inpatient unit 100 miles away from her home due to the disorder.

Now she is a medical student at the University of Bristol and training to run the 26.2-mile marathon in aid of the charity Mind.

Ella says she is sharing her story to show others "they are not alone".

"There is always hope to keep on going, there is always a good thing coming for you", she said.

Ella was 16 when she was diagnosed with anorexia and placed in an inpatient unit in Maidenhead, nearly three hours' drive from her Yeovil home.

Writing on her JustGiving page, she said: "I was really stuck and couldn't see a way out of the circle I was trapped in - in hindsight, I could quite easily still be an inpatient now, and I know this will be the case for young people in inpatient units all over the country."

Ella started returning home for periods six months into her admission, and later worked towards being full discharged.

She was supported by her parents, who visited her every weekend while she was an inpatient.

Waiting at the finish line on April 21 will be Ella's parents, brother and 10 of her University friends.

After completing her A-Levels she was accepted to study medicine at the University of Bristol.

There, she says she fell in love with running through the medical students' running society and the University's 'Bristol Run Series', a mix of virtual and in-person running events that help students, staff and the public get active.

Ella (middle) with her fellow medical students at the University of Bristol

"For so long my illness controlled everything," said Ella, who also volunteers playing the piano at Southmead Hospital.

"So for anyone going through something similar I would say 'hold on' - something good is coming, even if it doesn't feel like it right now'.

"Life is so much better than I ever thought it could have been - and I'm so glad that I stuck with my recovery and fought the battle to get where I am today.

"Doing the London Marathon had always been on my bucket list, and to be doing it for Mind is very special to me."

If you've been affected by eating disorders, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.