A TAVISTOCK woman is aiming to run the length of Hadrian's Wall in a day to raise money for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund.

Jo Meek is a physiotherapist currently working in Hasler Company at HMS Drake in Plymouth, which is dedicated to the needs of seriously injured and ill Royal Marines, Naval and Army personnel.

A member of Tavistock Athletics Club, Jo is more at home running marathons, but has decided to undertake this challenge for charity after seeing the plight of these soldiers first hand.

She plans to run the 69 miles from Carlisle to Newcastle on June 23 in under 11 hours.

Jo said working as a physiotherapist within the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, she had helped many returning injured soldiers.

'They are proud individuals, proud to serve our country, putting their lives on the line to help the people of Afghanistan or Iraq to build a strong and stable country,' she said.

'They know the risks of their job but even so being injured is completely life changing.

'Medical intervention, operation after operation, rehabilitation and adjustment goes on, and then the decision of what to do with the rest of their life, now that their dream job has brought to an end.'

Jo said many injured individuals could, and did, pursue a normal, albeit different, life and a few went onto achieve amazing ventures such as walking to the North Pole or completing an Ironman.

'However, there are some who are not able to pursue a normal life again,' said Jo.

'For example one soldier contracted Q fever and living with the chronic viral after-effects leaves him unable to have the physical strength to lift a kettle and struggling to brush his teeth let alone support his young family.

'Sixty-nine miles of hard running or the rest of my life dreaming I could run a mile let alone 69 of them — I know which I would prefer.

'It is these people I'm running for.'