TERMINALLY ill mum Ros Marsh captivated the audience at an awards ceremony when she told of her daily struggle against cancer.

Ros, 34, landed the 2009 Woman of Courage bravery award after raising more than £90,000 towards tackling cancer.

And she brushed shoulders with stars such as soul diva Beverley Knight, Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis and Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole at the London ceremony hosted by Prima Magazine and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

The award was made more poignant by the fact that she lost her good friend and fellow charity campaigner, Shirley Garman, to cancer just a few days before.

She said: “It was a very strange week for me, but the award ceremony was a great night – very glamorous “Beforehand I really wanted to win, but when I got there and met everyone it became more about us all raising awareness.

“One of the finalists had passed away a few weeks before, and it was amazing to meet her family.

“I feel angry that this disease has taken Shirley and that it is going to take me as well.”

Ros, 43, of Broome Manor, overcame breast cancer 12 years ago, but was diagnosed with aggressive Stage 4 bone cancer earlier this year.

Doctors estimate she has between 12 and 24 months to live.

After her first diagnosis, she began raising money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer by running the New York Marathon, trekking to Machu Picchu, cycling from London to Cambridge and completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

She tackled the 26-mile three peaks walks just a few weeks after having a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.

Her aim is still to help her late friend and fundraiser Shirley Garman hit the £1 million mark. Shirley passed away last week, £275,000 short of her total.

Ros was accompanied at the awards by her husband Roger, daughter Sophia, 16, and friend Amanda Woodhead, who nominated her. Ros is also mum to five-year-old Zach.

Amanda said: “Ros really is an amazing person, and she got a standing ovation for the acceptance speech she gave at the awards. She talked of how hard it is some days to find courage and how she often wonders how she’s going to get through the day, and she completely blew people away.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

Ros’s latest event was a charity ball at Swindon’s De Vere Hotel last Saturday, which raised £11,500.

Other events coming up include a sponsored walk at Coate Water next month, a quiz night at the Oasis and a disco in Wootton Bassett.

Money is also being raised by Ros’s brother, Richard, who is running the New York Marathon, runners taking part in the Swindon Half Marathon on Sunday, October 11, and Ros’s friend Paula Farquhar, who is climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.

To sponsor or take part in any of the events, email Ros at rosmarsh@live.co.uk