A COTSWOLDS woman has won a top award for endurance.

Lucy Rivers-Bulkeley from Moreton-in-Marsh completed the 4 Desert Grand Slam Challenge, risking her life in the most extreme conditions, to become the first British woman to accomplish the 4,155 mile desert runs across the Gobi, Atacama, Sahara and Antarctic deserts in one calendar year.

She raised in excess of £35,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of her father who died from cancer four years ago.

The award was from the charity donation website justgiving.com "I am very shocked, but honoured to have won", said Lucy, aged 32 and an executive personal assistant.

The judges commended her incredibly fearless attitude and enormous courage.

One of the judges, charity fundraiser Mike Tomlinson, said he wished he had "just half of Lucy's guts".