But now the 52-year-old head of South Yorkshire's Northern College is gearing up to face the challenge of a lifetime when she and three colleagues tackles the team relay Edinburgh marathon.

Jill, from Nether Edge, Sheffield, was inspired to take up her running shoes to raise money for Kidney Research UK.

Her 15-year-old daughter Tanith was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago and now has to undergo dialysis for 10 hours every night and is on the kidney transplant waiting list.

Jill said: "It has been tough, although Tanith never complains, but obviously it restricts her attempts to live as normal a life as possible.

"She is studying for her GCSEs at High Storrs school and tries to live as normal a life as is possible with her condition.

"But obviously it is not normal for a teenager to have to go to bed at 9pm every night to be hooked up to a machine for the next 10 hours.

"Research into kidney disease is vital to help children and adults like her now and in the future and colleagues at the college have been brilliant already raising funds for that research.

"I have never ever run anywhere, 10 yards would have been too much for me, so when vice principal Denise Pozorski suggested a team for the Edinburgh marathon at first I said it would be impossible.

"But I wanted to show just some of the determination my daughter shows every day so I agreed and started jogging around the beautiful grounds of Northern College here at Wentworth Castle near Barnsley slowly building up the distance every time."

Jill and Denise will be joined in their relay team by maths tutor Carol Roberts and Claire Craig, who used to teach at the college and now works at Sheffield Hallam University.

Between them they will run the 26.2 miles of the Edinburgh Marathon on May 25 and aim to raise at least £15,000 for that vital research for Kidney Research UK.

To sponsor Jill and her team, click here

READ MORE
Main news index
Latest sport.