A BRAVE mum who has battled through two brain tumours - and is living with the risk of reoccurring tumours for the rest of her life - is set to take on Europe’s biggest open water swim challenge.

Sarah Holt, from Catterick Garrison, who turns 32 on June 13, will take part in the Great North Swim in Lake Windermere on Friday, June 10 to Sunday, June 12 along with around 10,000 other swimmers.

Mrs Holt, mother of Ava, six, and Jenson, three, was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2009 shortly after the birth of her daughter; and when her son was just seven months old she was told the agonising news that it had returned.

She is challenging herself to the Great North Swim to raise funds and awareness for the Brain Tumour Charity.

She said: “I went to the doctors a few times as the left side of my face had started to go numb, and a routine MRI scan was booked for early 2010.

“However, shortly afterwards my symptoms got considerably worse and the doctor referred me for an urgent MRI the same day. I couldn’t believe it when my husband Steven and I were given the devastating news that I had a brain tumour.”

Mrs Holt underwent surgery to remove the brain tumour and went through a gruelling recovery process.

“It was hard but I went from strength to strength and set myself goals to achieve - the first was to get back to work which I did just a few weeks later,” she said

Sarah gave birth to her second child Jenson in 2013. However, shortly afterwards she was given the news that a second tumour had grown.

Now recovered from surgery, Mrs Holt underwent genetic tests and was told she has a condition that will continue to put her at risk of tumours throughout her body, including in her eyes, kidneys, spine, pancreas and brain.

She said: “We know that it is a hereditary disease and my beautiful babies Ava and Jenson could possibly have it but we are waiting for tests to confirm that.”

Geraldine Pipping, the charity’s director of fundraising said: “Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years - we need to change that.” To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SarahandchristineGNS.