Battler Tracy Marsh, whose motto is 'never give up', has been jointly named as Britain's Single Mum of the Year.

The 33-year-old, of Shipley, was nominated by her daughter Tanya for the award after her amazing come-back after suffering a life-threatening brain haemorrhage.

Doctors told her she might never walk again but in just five weeks she had thrown away her wheelchair and went on to finish a charity hike up Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain.

Tanya, 14, said: "Mum always told me however bad things seem you must never give up."

And yesterday Tracy's fightback won her £3,000 first prize in a magazine competition in a glittering ceremony at the Savoy in London.

Tracy, of Yew Tree Close, collapsed after complaining of a sore throat and headache. Initially doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary thought it might be meningitis but a brain scan revealed a haemorrhage.

She underwent emergency surgery at Leeds General Infirmary then suffered a massive stroke.

But she threw herself into demanding physiotherapy sessions and sent the wheelchair back after five weeks - stunning the medics.

Tracy, only 4ft 9ins, said: "I'm as stubborn as hell. Everyone thought I was crazy when I sent the wheelchair back but without it I had no choice but to walk."

She used to take 20 minutes to walk Tanya 60 yards to the bus stop to build up her strength. Then on July 6 this year she walked up Ben Nevis in memory of her father Melvin, who had always told her she would climb a mountain one day.

"My left leg was numb, my right leg in agony," she said. "I thought we were near the top, then I saw another peak and I wanted to cry but I couldn't let Tanya down."

Tracy, a shelf-stacker at Baildon's Co-op store, was divorced from Tanya's father a year after she was born.

She said: "I had always vowed to be there for my daughter. It couldn't be the other way round.

"But when I came out of hospital I was as helpless as a baby and hated it. Tanya became the mum.

" I was so surprised, I am still in shock.

"I couldn't believe Tanya had nominated me at first because I have changed so much since the haemorrhage and can be nasty sometimes.

"But she said 'mum, you have come so far'.

"We are getting back to how we were.

" I think this award is great. If you are on your own some people think you must be a bad mother.

"But Tanya says I am her mum and her dad."

She said she will spend the money sending Tanya and her own mum to Canada to visit her father's brother.

"It is something my mum has wanted to do and she was there for me so much when I was ill," Tracy said.

Tanya added: "I never imagined mum would get back to where she is today."

The awards were held to salute single mums and dads who are bringing up their children alone.

Jo Checkley, editor of That's Life magazine which organised the event, said: "Her courage and determination is simply inspiring and her story breathtaking.

"Doctors told her she was unlikely to ever walk again - mere mortals would have crumbled.

"For the sake of her daughter Tracy threw away her wheelchair and worked tirelessly to defy the medics."

Debbie Whyatt, 42, of Knutsford, Cheshire, who has brought up five children, including girl quadruplets, joined Tracy in winning the competition.

Judges thought her parenting skills were an inspiration to all other struggling single mums and dads throughout the UK after hearing how she coped bringing up the babies on her own.