Terminal cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson has been made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The 42-year-old from Leeds who became an MBE in 2003, has raised over £1.5m for charity through several marathons and epic bike rides.
She has metastatic breast cancer, which was diagnosed as incurable in 2000.
The mother of three cycled 4,200 miles across the US in nine weeks for her final fundraising challenge in 2006, which raised around £250,000.
Her health proved a huge challenge during the journey from San Francisco to New York, with organisers considering abandoning the ride and admitting Jane to hospital just two days before the finish line.
"More people with cancer could not even contemplate doing some of the challenges Jane has undertaken but hearing about her has given then courage and hope"
She completed the ride on the sixth anniversary of the day she had been given just six months to live.
Mrs Tomlinson was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 at the age of 26. She underwent a mastectomy and went into remission.
But a decade later she was told the cancer had returned, spreading to her lungs and bones, and that it would kill her.
Charity efforts
Mrs Tomlinson, who is a paediatric radiographer, is the only person with incurable cancer to complete a full Ironman event which consists of a 4km swim, 180km bike ride and full marathon to be done inside 17 hours.
She has also completed two half Ironmans, run the London Marathon three times, the New York Marathon and three London Triathlons and is the only person to do the marathon whilst on chemotherapy.
Her brother has completed two tandem bike rides with her - one from Lands End to John O' Groats and the other from Rome to Leeds.
At the same time she has had four courses of chemotherapy and as a result of her drug regimes has chronic heart disease.
HEALTH HONOURS
Among the many accolades she has achieved for her mammoth fundraising efforts she has received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and a Pride of Britain Award.
She has said she will no longer take part in fundraising events herself but 8,000 people have signed up to do the "Run For All" 10k in Leeds at the end of June, which was inspired by Jane's efforts.
Maureen Rutter, director of Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the charities to benefit from Jane's fundraising efforts said: "Jane Tomlinson is an inspiration to everyone who is diagnosed with cancer.
"Although she and her family have known for some time that Jane's cancer cannot be cured, she is living life to the full, every minute of the day.
"More people with cancer could not even contemplate doing some of the challenges Jane has undertaken but hearing about her has given then courage and hope."
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