A young woman from Rickmansworth who collapsed while jogging due to a stroke less than a year ago has completed a triathlon to raise money for charity.

Helen Kelly, 23, was running along the canal towpath in July 2011, when she suddenly had to stop with severe head pain and dizziness.

She was saved by a cyclist who recognised Ms Kelly was showing the signs of a stroke and called an ambulance.

After being taken to Watford General Hospital for emergency treatment, it took three weeks of physiotherapy before Ms Kelly was back on her feet.

She said: "Learning how to walk again was one of the hardest challenges I've ever faced, but I have since been working hard on my recovery to get back to my normal self.

"I knew I wanted a goal to work towards and so signed up for the Nuffield Health Sprint Triathlon with the aim of completing this within twelve months of my stroke."

Yesterday the University of Bath graduate completed a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run in order to raise money for the Stroke Association.

She has beaten her original target by £500, having so far raised a total of £5,500.

The Stroke Association helps people who have suffered from a stroke at a young age, and to raise awareness about identifying the signs and symptoms.

After her collapse last year, Ms Kelly's father Shamus set out on a mission to find the man who found her on the canal side.

He put up posters across the town and down by the canal where Helen had been running, asking for anyone who knew any more about it to come forward.

The posters lead to the phone call that gave Mr Kelly the name of the man who saved his daughter, Dee Maunders, a London taxi driver from Croxley Green.

Without a direct address he was forced to spend the following few weeks door knocking only to learn from neighbours that he was on holiday.

After months of waiting and searching Mr Kelly was finally able to shake the hand of the man who helped his daughter when he returned from holiday.

Mr Maunders, 50, recognised Helen’s symptoms as he witnessed his father having a stroke 12 years ago.

He said: "I have no medical training but I recognised the signs. I didn’t feel the hero - I felt more like I was an observer."

To donate to Helen’s fundraising effort visit http://www.justgiving.com/StrokeRecovery