A FLINTSHIRE woman who battled cancer has completed a gruelling bike ride in aid of charity.

Tessa Anderson, of Pantymwyn, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2017, which had already spread to her armpit.

She went on to have a major operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as ongoing medication and told the Leader recently that she felt it was time for her to give something back.

Last week she joined a group of about 60 women to cycle 240 miles as part of Women V Cancer London to Paris 2019, which raises money for three charities - Breast Cancer Care, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.

Describing the ride, she said: "Nine months ago I was not a cyclist, so this was a huge challenge.

"It was fantastic - the hardest thing I have ever done. "My sister Tamana Tomlinson did the ride with me, all the way. "And she was a huge support to me throughout my cancer treatment so I would like to give a very big thanks to her. "The best parts of the ride for me were getting to Portsmouth on the first day, because getting the first day over was a huge thing psychologically for me. "It was amazing to cycle through Versailles and when we had the first view of the Eiffel Tower that was a massive emotional moment."

Explaining her motivation and some of the challenges she came up against during the event, she continued: "I hit a wall on the second day, where I did not think I was going to get through it. "But when I saw all of the donations that had been made, that really gave me a push.

"It really means so much to me because having been through cancer treatment, I know how much it costs.

"So if I can help someone else, that means a massive deal to me."

Tessa managed to raise more than £2,700 and the whole group raised a whopping £132,000 for the causes.

To donate to Tessa's JustGiving page, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tessa-anderson