A DEVOTED sister has ran more than 2,500 miles in 365 days in the hopes of securing Team GB's wheelchair rugby future.

Molly Smith from Sedgefield was inspired to run every day for a year after funding was cut from Team GB’s wheelchair rugby club in late 2016.

The runner’s brother Jack Smith plays for the team and has the chance to make the Paralympic squad in Tokyo 2020.

Miss Smith decided to trek at least 5k every day to raise £3,650 to go towards the three million total needed to save the team.

The 29-year-old surpassed the target despite injuries and setbacks.

She raised nearly £6,500 for the cause which will go towards securing Team GB’s future.

She said: “I didn’t know I would be able to do it.

“I went from running three or four times a week to running every day. It was initially for Jack but it’s for all the team who have been so supportive to me – they even turned up to one of my runs.

“It just goes to show if you decide to do something and are passionate you can do anything.

“I think If you care about something and want to see changes you’ve got to do it yourself whether that be park runs or marathons, just go for it.”

The Sedgefield physiotherapist initially started the challenge in 2017 but was devastated after a fall split her knee open and required stitches.

She was unable to run for 18 days but was supported by people from all over the world. Runners from Australia, America, and New Zealand ran in her place.

Following the injury, she restarted her fundraising efforts with support from her friends and family.

She finished the challenge last month with the Brighton Marathon and continues to run every day. The runner has now completed 388 consecutive days for the cause.

Her brother Jack Smith plays for Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby and appears for Team GB.

He was left seriously injured at 16 in a match between Billingham Rugby Club and Darlington.

The sportsman suffered a fractured dislocation of several vertebrae and also compression of his spine in the rugby accident in January 2008.

He was left paralysed from the chest down but was not prepared to let his injury stop him and returned to the game.

His mother Janet Smith said: "I think Jack is secretly very proud of everything Molly has achieved.

“I am just so proud of her, people follow her from all the world she’s Instafamous now.

“When we go to places you can tell people have seen her and want to come up and talk to her.

"I think she wanted to do it because it's awful to have the funding cut because the chance of the Tokyo Paralympics was taken away.

"We see what Jack has to do before he gets into a wheelchair which is not easy, and that's the same for all the lads on the team.”

Wheelchair rugby was one of seven national sports to have its funding completely removed by UK Sport.

So far, wheelchair rugby has raised £250,000 of the cost, in sponsorship and public donations, to fund its programmes in the 2017-20 cycle.

To donate to the cause visit justgiving.com/fundraising/molly-runs-365