An office manager, who began running to regain her confidence after being attacked in Attleborough, is gearing up for her toughest challenge with a middle distance triathlon.

Sarah Robinson completed her first charity run two years ago to help overcome the mental scars of an assault that took place in the town centre in July 2009.

The 44-year-old, who has since completed the East Anglian Air Ambulance Runway Run and finished the Great North Run last year, will be taking on a triathlon next month to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and Help For Heroes.

Mrs Robinson will be swimming 1.2 miles, cycling 53 miles and running a 13-mile half-marathon on Saturday, September 3 for the Vitruvian middle distance triathlon at Rutland Water, in Lincolnshire.

The Attleborough woman is raising money in memory of her father-in-law Albert Robinson who died of cancer two years ago.

Mrs Robinson was left with two black eyes, bruises on her head and arms and concussion when she was kicked to the floor in Attleborough two years ago and developed a fear of leaving her house. Running proved to be her therapy.

'I was thinking the other day that I would not be doing this if that had not happened in the first place. It was an awful thing to happen, but it has changed my outlook on life. I decided that I needed to get out there and do the things I said I would do one day,' she said.

She added that she only had eight hours to complete the triathlon and has been in training since January.

'It is a huge step up. At the start of the year I could only swim 25 metres in the swimming pool and I had not been on a bicycle since I was a child,' she said.

Mrs Robinson, who works for civil and environmental engineering consultancy, Bingham Hall Associates in Attleborough, also received �150 sponsorship from her company to buy a wet suit and cycling equipment.

Mrs Robinson can be sponsored by visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving and a pledge form can also be found in the London Tavern pub in Attleborough.