Sue Roberts, 66, from Long Melford, will be tackling an arduous 120-kilometre section of the Pilgrims' Way in northern Spain, in aid of charity Spinal Research.

In 2002, the pensioner was on the last day of a riding holiday in Portugal when she was thrown from her horse. A split second later, several of her vertebrae were shattered as she smashed head-first into a tree.

She said: "Somehow I was incredibly lucky. Although I did not know it at the time, my spinal cord was not broken – despite breaking my C1 vertebrae, which usually results in paralysis from the neck down."

Mrs Roberts was rushed to hospital in Lisbon where a metal "halo" was screwed into her skull to keep her head still, before flying back to England for months of painful operations and therapy.

"A year later, I had a spinal fusion operation which left my neck crooked and my head pointing down. It wasn't until a year later that a specialist found another broken vertebra that had to be operated on," she said.

Having had titanium rods placed in her neck, she said she was fortunate to have escaped the fate of Hollywood actor Christopher Reeve, who was left paralysed after a similar accident.

She said: "The experience inspired me to get involved in the charity Spinal Research, which is doing ground-breaking research into spinal cord regeneration and I resolved to raise money for their amazing work."

Mrs Roberts will finish her Pilgrims' Way hike in Santiago de Compostela, which is believed to be the final resting place of the apostle St James.

Mrs Roberts, who has five children and five grandchildren, embarked on a fitness programme to ensure she can complete the walk in May.

With the deadline approaching, Mrs Roberts is planning to spend a training week in the Yorkshire Dales with walking companion Bridget Whitley, whom she met in 1961 when the pair trained to be nurses.

"Spinal Research could make a difference to so many people suffering from paralysis and I would love to raise as much as possible," she added.

If you would like to support the walk, go to www.justgiving.com/sueroberts3.

For more information on the charity go to www.spinal-research.org.