A PARALYSED woman is taking part in a sponsored swim to raise money for people with spinal injuries.

Jan Crispin sustained spinal cord injury in 2010 when she was involved in a car crash.

Ms Crispin aims to swim one mile in less than one-and-a-half hours on October 28 to raise £3,000 for the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust.

The former civil servant, who had been working as a human resources manager at the Ministry of Defence in London, spent six months rehabilitating in The Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital, which the charity supports.

She relies on her partner and 24-hour support workers to help her every day and the swimming a mile is a huge personal challenge for her.

“I was brilliantly cared for in the spinal centre and so this is my way of saying thank you, and also helping others,” she said.

“It's also chance to raise awareness of this devastating injury that can happen to anyone at any time.”

To donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com and search for Jan Crispin.