A 30-year-old woman who made a 'bucket list' after hitting the landmark birthday is running the London Marathon for a post-natal charity.

Vanessa Benussi, an events revenue manager from Wimbledon town centre, has challenged herself to do 30 new things in 12 months following the big day last October.

Miss Benussi said: "The London Marathon is a huge event and if you had asked me five years ago I would have said it is definitely not something I could do, but I’m now older and wiser and ready for a huge challenge so I’ve taken on this once in a lifetime opportunity."

Challenges already ticked off include completing sixty classes of Bikram Yoga, going to see the Moulin Rouge in Paris and planning a trip to Australia. Still to do are reading Richard Branson's autobiography and helping someone less fortunate than herself This will be the first full marathon Miss Benussi has run, although she managed to complete the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.

Recently engaged, she hopes slimming down for her wedding day will be an added bonus after all the training.

Miss Benussi chose to fundraise for the National Childbirth Trust after witnessing the support given to friends by the charity.

She raised £120 at an extra fundraising event last Saturday, with stalls selling a variety of goods at Sacred Heart Church in Wimbledon.

Stalls selling toys, clothing, books and bric-a-brac were set up at the market, which ran from 10am to 12.30pm.

To sponsor Miss Benussi, visit justgiving.com/VanessaBenussi