An amputee from County Durham who lost her leg when she was hit by a van in a crash has completed the Great North 5k.

Dr Alison Broadbent, the final finisher in Friday’s fun run around the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides, crossed the line to cheers and applause from the crowd.

The former astrophysicist said: “It was amazing. Ever since the accident six years ago, I have wanted to do the Great North Run. I did it when I was 24 in the late 80s. I thought I wanted to do it again.

“I was going to do the half marathon in a wheelchair but then I got my prosthetic leg so I thought I would try the 5k.

“It has been the culmination of six years’ work.”  

Dr Broadbent makes it over the finishing line Dr Broadbent makes it over the finishing line (Image: Contributor) Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £3 for 3 months for a limited time only here.

Dr Broadbent, 59, had her right leg amputated above the knee after she was knocked down in Acacia Road, in her hometown of Bishop Auckland in 2018.

She said training for the event, part of a weekend of running event on Tyneside, has been intense.

She said: “You have to build up your tolerance. It is not comfortable at all. It is so high up it tends to dig in and you sometimes get pressure sores around the stump but you put up with that.”

Dr Broadbent said she only has two inches of residual limb her 4kg prosthetic limb is attached to.

She said: “It has been about building up stamina over the years with how long I can stand wearing the leg. It is a long process and you have to build up gradually.”

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During her recovery, Dr Broadbent found there was a lack of peer support for amputees and she founded a dedicated group for amputees across the region.

NE Amputee has been set up to provide specialist support and advice to those who have lost limbs and their families with help from expert serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.

Dr Broadbent and her team with their medals Dr Broadbent and her team with their medals (Image: Contributor)

Dr Broadbent said she has not ruled out trying the 13.1 mile run from Newcastle to South Shields in future.

She said: “Never say never. With all of the crowds and the support I got, I was not expecting anything like that. “I might as well as done the half marathon.

“It was certainly a night to remember.”