A DETERMINED accountant who refuses to let her multiple sclerosis define her is running one of the world’s most gruelling marathons.

April Bontoft, 29, is taking on the legendary Marathon de Sables 2021 in April next year.

The six-day 256km race takes place in Morocco and is known as one of the most demanding on earth, with runners battling 40 degree temperatures and carrying their survival equipment with them en route.

Her race across the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert will raise money for children living in poverty.

For April, who was diagnosed with MS in 2018, the run is likely to be even more challenging.

She said: “I have always been a runner but I only started doing long distance about two years ago around the time when I was diagnosed with MS.

“I started pushing myself further and I decided I wanted to do my first ultramarathon, which is 100k, to prove to myself the disability will not define me.

“It is more the mental strength I will need rather than the physical. I won’t have the support of my loved ones around me.

“I can have weeks without my MS really affecting me or my training but then I have weeks or days where it really comes into play and I am in a lot of pain.

“But I try not to let it impact my day-to-day life and I don’t often refer to it. People wouldn’t necessarily know I have MS because I do not want to talk about it a lot. I don’t want it to become how I am defined.”

During the challenge April, who lives off Turner Road in Colchester, will run between 30 and 40 km a day in blistering temperatures, with a mammoth 80 to 100km race on the third day.

She’ll also be forced to camp in the desert at night and live off powered foods for the duration.

April said: “They change the course every year depending on the sand dunes but the running is spread over five days.

“The biggest challenge will be the heat and the sand dunes can throw people off course.

“You have to carry everything yourself, all your camping equipment, your water and your food. There is no luxury around.

“Normally when you run a marathon you can look forward to a big meal and a nice sleep afterwards but there’s none of that.”

The former Essex University student is fundraising for Hope For Children, which helps young people living in extreme poverty across the globe.

April said: “The main reason I chose the charity is they are supporting children who go days or weeks without water or food.

“I thought it fitted in well with the race as I will be going through some of what they go through.

“I want to feel the heat, the pain, the fear, the dehydration and starvation these kids face every single day. The only difference is at the end of the race I get to fly home and these children do not.

“I have raised £2,000 so far and to make £5,000 would be amazing.”

Donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/aprilmds21.