Instinctively, this led to competition and the first race she took part in was the Leicester Half Marathon. The Stratford Marathon followed and the time she recorded there qualified her for the big one… the London Marathon.
Last Sunday, Vicky crossed the finish line of the world’s most famous 26-mile course in a time of 3hrs and 56mins and raised over £1,500 for research into Necrotising Fasciitis, as well as and the Wooden Spoon Charity – which supports young children with disabilities or disadvantages.
It was no surprise that given the background to the run, the day in the capital city under a red-hot sun and watched by her family, was a thoroughly emotional one.
“My mum was at the finish line and it was really emotional,” said Vicky. “I just shouted: ‘I did it’ and started crying. It reinforced the proof that I had got over what had happened to me and the emotion of that came out.
“Because I hadn’t seen Phil and the boys throughout the race, it was amazing to see Harry up on Phil’s shoulders a while after the finish. It was a very emotional day.”
Training for London while running didi Rugby and looking after two young boys was no easy task, especially during a brutal winter that offered little in the way of respite from rain, ice or snow.
But those who have known Vicky from her days as an England international, where she earned 34 caps for her country, will know of her hell-bent determination to make a success of things that she sets her mind to.