A physiotherapist from Hampton who joined Sir Ranulph Fiennes in the world’s toughest footrace, 250km through the Sahara, has described the challenge as "awesome".

Ellen Goldsmith, who works at St Margarets Clinic, raced across 250km of desert alongside 1,500 other competitors, including renowned adventurer Sir Ranulph, and has so far raised almost £2,000 for medical care charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Ms Goldsmith, 37, returned from the six-day Marathon Des Sables on April 13 and said apart from a few blisters and grazes she is in great condition.

She said: "It was hard but now I have come back my colleagues said I looked like I had just been on holiday."

Ms Goldsmith, who carried a 9kg backpack, equating to about 20 per cent of her bodyweight, throughout the race, said the toughest part was when she was stuck in the sand dunes for hours at night during a fierce sand storm. She said the relief she felt upon completing the course was incredible.

She said: "It was brilliant. I came over the crest of a hill, threw my hands up and shouted ‘we’ve done it, we’ve done it’ then promptly fell over a rock. Luckily I only grazed myself."

Ms Goldsmith said her preparation for the challenge, which included a 50-mile race and a half-marathon in one weekend, was even harder psychologically than the Sahara test.

She said: "I train by myself and realised how mentally challenging that is compared with doing it with many people. I had probably got through harder times mentally than during the race."

The physiotherapist was diagnosed as a coeliac and suffered a fracture to her foot a year ago and said she wanted to share her story with others who might doubt their own abilities.

She said: "I would like to get the story out to people to let them know that we can be in a really bad state of health but can still achieve our dreams."

Ms Goldsmith said she thought tackling such a tough test would satisfy her desire to push herself, but it has had the opposite effect and she is already looking for the next challenge.

Make donations at givey.com/ellengoldsmith79.