A GRIEVING aunt has been on an incredible journey and raised thousands of pounds in memory of her niece who died suddenly in her sleep.

Hollie Cradduck completed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in honour of her 19-year-old niece Rosie Carter.

Rosie, from St Mary Bourne, was found dead in bed at a manor house where she was staying with her family in Tenby, on September 8, 2013.

The Nottingham University student was in Wales to watch Hollie take part in a charity triathlon, and died from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Since then, Hollie 24, also from St Mary Bourne, has been on a mission to raise awareness of SUDEP, and has so far generated more than £40,000 for epilepsy charities, with the help of her family.

She said: “Whilst lying awake I promised Rosie I would get to Kona in her memory. Rosie was always very philosophical about shooting for the moon and so it was a perfect testament to her. It would be Rosie’s legacy.”

She added: “Rosie and I were more like sisters and I was only three when she was born and this formed a formidable bond.”

Hollie’s emotional journey is set to be published in a book due to be released next year.

At the world championships on October 10, she completed a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.6-mile marathon.

Hollie, who worked at Sky News, moved to Lanzarote after qualifying for the competition, to train.

She said: “After losing Rosie I struggled badly with my grief, however I used Ironman as my focus and having Kona as my goal, even if I thought it impossible for a long while, helped my mental health. It has proved that exercise can help depressed and this is something I researched into within my book.”

She hopes her efforts will also raise awareness of SUDEP Action, adding: “SUDEP is when a person with epilepsy, whether that be diagnosed or not, dies suddenly and prematurely and no other cause of death is found. Rosie was never diagnosed with epilepsy but had suffered with a handful of nocturnal seizures in her teens which were put to night tremors.”

Karen Osland, the deputy chief executive of SUDEP Action said: “Hollie Cradduck has done such amazing work in memory of her niece Rosie. With strength and determination she has chased her dream of competing in the Ironman Championship. We have been following her progress with much excitement and we are happy that she has finally successfully done it and been recognised for it.

“As a small charity dedicated to preventing epilepsy deaths including SUDEP, we rely on the generosity of people like Hollie who push themselves to the limit to raise awareness and funds for our workWe can’t praise Hollie enough for all her inspiring work.”