At the age of 35, Angela Morley never thought that she would need a hip replacement, but the discovery of osteoarthritis in her hips led to the decision being made to allow her some respite from the pain.

For Angela, it was a devastating diagnosis. After buying an £80 non-motorised treadmill to lose weight, she was inspired to begin pounding the pavements. Not only did she drop four dress sizes in the process, it gave her the impetus to put her new-found passion for running to raise funds for charity.

Nine months after setting off around the block, Angela ran her first race – the Bupa Great Yorkshire 10k Run in Sheffield. However, she suffered a setback while in training for the Liverpool half marathon when she was in a collision with a 4x4 vehicle.

Undeterred, and determined not to let her sponsors down, she pressed on, running on a painful ankle. Since then, she has completed the Great Manchester 10K Run, the Race for Life in Huddersfield and the Leeds Abbey Dash.

Her greatest achievement was completing last year’s London Marathon from which she donated almost £2,000 in sponsorship to Scope – a charity, like many she supports, that is close to her heart.

“It was the most fantastic day of my life,” says Angela, who finished the gruelling run in five-and-a-half hours.

But Angela’s delight turned to devastation when she collapsed in the street through the pain she endured in her hips while jogging for fun.

“This got worse and worse to the point of barely being able to walk,” says Angela.

After months of pain relief and physiotherapy, Angela was sent for an MRI scan. “Afterwards I was told what the problem was – I have osteoarthritis in both of my hips,” she explains.

The discovery of Acetabular impingement in her hips is contributing to Angela’s pain while walking. Faced with the possibility that she may never run again, she welcomed the offer of a hip replacement.

Angela is hopeful it will take place this year, and that it will give her some respite from the pain and may enable her to eventually return to running.

In the meantime, she is still eager to continue fundraising and has already joined a gym. “I do physio and strength workouts combined thanks to my physiotherapist and personal trainer at the gym. I can do quite a few exercises that been modified for me, as well as resistance training and I’ve got heavily into weightlifting,” she explains.

Angela has also found swimming as an outlet for her quest to keep fit and is now focusing on this as another avenue to channel her fundraising.

On March 21, she will participate in the Sport Relief Swimathon at Hollins Hall, Baildon, swimming three miles, equating to 200 lengths of the pool.

She is determined not to let her condition affect her fundraising.

“I like doing my charity work, why let it stop me? Because my legs are broken doesn’t mean my arms are,” says Angela, defiantly.

After finding out about the Swimathon challenge through Facebook, Angela signed up and is now hoping to raise as much money as she possibly can.

“I just figured it helps a wide range of people with different disabilities and I feel I am giving something back to the community,” says Angela.

Spurred on by friends who have suffered with cancer, Angela also hopes to take on the Pretty Muddy Race for Life at Temple Newsam, Leeds, in June which involves tackling a muddy obstacle course.

“I always find a way to raise money for charity. Anybody can drop coins into a charity bucket in passing, but it’s such a different, overwhelming feeling to go out there and do something spectacular and challenging to raise funds for the less fortunate,” she says.

“I have done about 50 races in the past three years for different charities. I will not be stopped by this condition and would like to raise awareness to other sufferers that just because you have a condition it ain’t over till you say it’s over. Where there is a will there is a way.”

For more information or to support Angela in her fundraising quest, visit my.sportrelief.com/sponsor/angelamorley