A Leicestershire mum who was once told she might never walk again has been picked to carry the Olympic torch when it passes through the county.

Debbie Bliss spent months in rehabilitation, learning how to use her legs again, after contracting the muscle disease dermatomyositis in May 2000.

She slowly managed to work her way back to full fitness, and since then, she has raised more than £70,000 for various good causes by taking on extreme physical challenges – including trekking the Great Wall of China, biking across Vietnam and climbing a volcano.

Now, the 46-year-old's determination and selfless charity work has been recognised by organisers of the Olympic torch relay, who have chosen her as one of the 8,000 people who will carry the flame ahead of the games, which start at the end of July.

Debbie, who lives in Hinckley, said she was "honoured and excited" to be a part of the event. "I can't wait," she said. "I'm so proud. I've always admired Seb Coe, he's an inspirational person.

"I don't do anything I do for my own gain at all but I think it's nice to have some recognition."

Debbie, a qualified personal trainer, was living and working in Tenerife when she fell ill.

Not knowing what was wrong, she flew back to the UK to see her mum, and was admitted to hospital straight away.

Within a few weeks, she had lost the ability to move and speak.

She spent more than three months in hospital in total.

"It was terrifying," she said. "I didn't know what was going on.

"I've always been very active and into my sports, it was a big part of my life, so to be lying in a hospital bed, unable to do anything, was very frustrating.

"I couldn't speak, I couldn't move my legs more than a few millimetres, I couldn't do anything."

Debbie was inspired to start raising money for good causes six years ago, when her ex-husband's son, Joshua, was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was just two.

"I've done a bike ride from north to south Vietnam, I've trekked the Great Wall of China, I've done a skydive and I've climbed the volcano, Mount Teide, in Tenerife, which I'm going to do again this year," Debbie said. "At the moment I'm in training for a trek in Peru. The thing for me was when Joshua was ill and needed help.

"I do it because I can, because at one point I thought I would never be able to do anything like this.

"I think you rebel against what doctors have told you. They say you can't and you go to extremes to show you can."

Debbie said her mum and son, Mathew, 20, will be there with other friends and relatives to watch as she carries the Olympic torch through Leicestershire.

The flame will pass through Leicester and 16 towns and villages in the county and Rutland on July 2 and 3, as part of its 70-day tour of the UK ahead of London 2012.

Debbie would like to put a book together to show how far she has come to help inspire other people.

She said: "I'd like to show that first photo, of me lying in a hospital bed, and then one of me carrying the torch. That would be great.

"I want to help people in similar situations, make a book to inspire people. Those pictures would tell a million words."