A BATTLING mum who lost an eye to a rare fungal infection is excelling in a new challenge.

Jacqui Stone underwent 22 operations in 2012 as doctors battled to save her left eye.

Eventually it had to be removed for fear that the aggressive infection caused by the fungus would enter her brain.

But five years on. Ms Stone, who is the mother-of-three, has risen to become one of the best cyclists for her age and is set to represent Team GB at an international competition.

Ms Stone, 47, will be competing in the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship 2017 in Albi, France, on August 27.

She said: “The ordeal is one of those things that makes your life flash in front of you.

“You start to look at what your life is and I decided I couldn’t live half a life anymore.

“After about a year of rehabilitation I managed to start running again and after a year or so more I started cycling.”

Since her ordeal, Ms Stone, who is a full-time project worker with Essex County Council, found that exercise and particularly cycling, helped her rediscover her zest for life.

She said: “It gave me freedom again which was a big thing for me after everything that happened. For me to get out and do something I am good at gave me a new found confidence in myself.”

Ms Stone, of John English Avenue, Braintree, is one of 52 competitors within her age group who qualified for the 60 mile event.

She said: “I will be the only disabled competitor. Having one eye does not affect your muscle ability or fitness but you do not have distance vision and it makes overtaking difficult.

“I will be videoing the course beforehand so I know what corners are going to be coming up.

“I have set myself several targets. The first one is getting to the starting line. One is not crashing during the race and making it to the finishing line.

“I would like to make it into the top 26 and maybe even the top 13.Who knows.”