Clare Forbes may have been the last competitor to cross the finish line of the London Marathon at 19 hours and 10 minutes, but she is surely the bravest, completing her challenge five years after losing both legs.

Clare was 17 when she contracted meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia. She woke from a coma after six months, during which time she'd had a massive brain haemorrhage, a stroke and had had both her legs amputated, along with a couple of fingers.

In June 2004 she started to learn to walk again, after her step-father and mentor Effie Verboort hid her wheelchair.

"I wasn't very happy about it, but now I can't even remember what it looks like," Clare told Justgiving. "I walk everywhere now and I want to continue to learn to walk independently."

Clare suffers from dizziness and walked the whole way with her arms linked to Eiffie.

She has raised nearly £7,000 for The Meningitis Trust - way above her target of £3,000 - and many contributions have come from other runners who were inspired by her story.

Meningitis Trust chief executive Philip Kirby said: "Clare is an inspiration. We are immensely proud of her achievement, and of all our runners."

He said: "The achievement is particularly special for Clare though, considering less than five years ago, having contracted meningococcal septicaemia, it was uncertain whether she would be able to walk again at all."

Clare chose to support the charity which had helped her whole family during an unbearable time. She also wants to help fund their vital research into the dignosis and management of meningitis and aftercare of patients and families affected by it.

You can show your support for Clare's amazing story and a charity that is helping her rebuild her life by sponsoring her here.

If you’d like to raise money for a cause you care about, you can create a fundraising page straight away! Or, you can check our charity guide to see if your charity is already a member of Justgiving and if not, you can nominate them here. We'll tell them you want to raise money for them and if they join us, you can create a page and become another of our fundraising superstars!