WIFE of former Saints legend Steve Prescott, Linzi has for a number of years shown strength in the face of adversity, culminating this October with her ‘best achievement yet’ - reaching Everest base camp.

Mum-of-two Linzi, who is a trustee of the Steve Prescott Foundation (SPF), says she is backing the Star’s We Can! campaign - which is being run with St Helens Council - encouraging women from across the borough to reach their potential.

Women who have backed the campaign so far include poet Lynn Gerrard, who spoke of her literary success despite her struggles with mental health and Joanne Griffiths, who has volunteered for nearly 40 years despite suffering a serious illness.

Councillor Jeannie Bell, St Helens’ cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, told her own story of being inspired by strong female role models in her family.

Linzi Prescott, who has sons Taylor, 15, and Koby, 10, spoke of the importance of motherhood, adding she gave up work when her first baby was one year old, as he suffered from one illness after another.

She said: “It’s not always possible for people to stop working, but sometimes we lose sight of the importance of motherhood.”

She added: “Then, when Taylor had just started school and had a new baby brother, that’s when we first learned about Stephen’s illness.

“I had to keep things going at home, try to act normal and be strong for Stephen and the boys.”

When Steve was alive, she said, she didn’t take part in any of the SPF challenges as she thought they were “out of her league”.

“Don’t get me wrong, I always did the St Helens 10k from the inaugural year,” she said, “but it wasn’t until Stephen died that I trained for a half marathon.

“When he died, I struggled at first to see how the SPF would continue without him. I felt that I needed to get involved more and, with Everest base camp to top it off, I feel that I have proven myself. We’re in our 10th year and we’ve raised more than £1 million.

“I will carry on doing everything I can for the foundation - to keep Stephen’s legacy alive and to hopefully see advances made so others get through the illness he faced and that sadly killed him.”

She added: “What I believe is something Stephen used to say: ‘you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice’.

“I’d give this advice to any women struggling to reach their potential. You can get various knocks along the way, but it’s how you pick yourself up that makes you the person you are.”

Former Saints, Wakefield and Hull rugby league player, Steve Prescott died in late November 2013.