A Bradford woman who fought back to study for a degree after being diagnosed with a chronic pain condition has been honoured with an award celebrating inspirational learners.

Sarah Reynolds, 39, won the HEART Raising Aspirations Adult Learner’s Award for never missing a deadline and achieving good grades in her leadership and management course at Bradford University, three years after having to give up her work as a civil servant because of health problems.

The mum of a four-year-old daughter battled back after leaving her job of 12 years, suffering a major injury in a part-time role and getting divorced from her husband.

She was presented with the accolade during the Yorkshire and Humber Adult Learners' Awards 2013 at Forster’s Bistro and Deli in Bradford on Tuesday.

Sarah said: “I am lucky to have the support from family and friends who help, especially in the morning when my condition is at its worst.”

The Bumble Bees Barbarians, England’s only rugby team where players with and without learning and physical disabilities play contact rugby union alongside each other, won highly commended in the project category.

The original idea for the Bradford team came from rugby enthusiast Anthony Brooke, who has a learning disability and cerebral palsy, but didn't want to play just the tag rugby on offer to him. He worked with his tutor at the Workers' Educational Trust to contact local rugby clubs and the RFU to get the project off the ground.

Judy Robinson, chief executive of Involve Yorkshire and Humber, said: “It is humbling and inspirational to hear the stories of these learners who have each overcome barriers to transform their own lives and others.

“In many cases they have done this with the support of the whole community - family, friends, colleges, the voluntary sector and business. And it's the whole community that reaps the benefit of such learning. I think the message from these stories is that you are never too old or nervous or lacking in success or confidence or isolated to learn. You can do it and it can change your life.”