A woman who was told her heart could fail from years of suffering with anorexia and bulimia has fought her way back to health - and is now set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sophie Ellis, 21, of Greenways, Southend, developed the eating disorders when she started sixth form at Shoebury High School aged just 16.

Whilst studying at an arts college in Brighton in 2014, she became so unwell from being sick up to 14 times a day, that she was sent to hospital after collapsing at work.

She then moved back to Southend to be with her family and was put in hospital yet again after she tried to take her own life.

It suddenly hit Sophie how much her eating disorders had taken over her life.

She said: “At that stage it really put things in perspective, I had to undergo numerous heart tests as I was told my heart was going to fail.

“My eating disorder consumed everything, I was a footballer for Southend Manor Women’s team, and on a cricket and basketball team - it destroyed all my sporting, ruined my relationships with friends and family. You start to close yourself off from them.

“I couldn’t have got through it without the professional help I received, and also seeing how much it was tearing my family up made me want to get better. All their support helped me get through.”

She was later assessed in London while studying at university and she was transferred to Royal Maudsley Hospital London.

The hospital funded Sophie to go on an extensive rehabilitation programme for people with eating disorders.

She completed the programme and was discharged from hospital in February this year.

Since then, Sophie has gone from strength to strength, and regularly trains in the gym focusing mainly on weight training. At 5ft 7, Sophie is now a healthy 72kg (Just over 11 stone) after her weight plummeted to a 38kg (just under six stone).

She has now been approached by the charity Dig Deep, who provide safe water, clean taps and toilets for poor communities in Kenya, after they saw Sophie’s story on her blog.

Sophie decided she wanted to give something back and prove to herself that she has truly beaten her eating disorder. She wants to show others that mental illnesses can be defeated and should not stop anyone from achieving their goals.

She is training hard in preparation for a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Dig Deep alongside five others in August 2018.

She said: “It will make me proud knowing I’ve done this to help communities in Kenya. Knowing it’s going to help them means everything. A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this, so it really is a personal achievement for me as well as being able to help others.” To sponsor Sophie, visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/sophiaellis