Covered in mud and surrounded by friends, Lucy Underdown looks like any other 26-year-old.

But that is only thanks to the tireless efforts of surgeons at Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital over the past four years.

In 2011, Mrs Underdown and her then-fiancé (now husband) Josh, from Abingdon, were involved in a car accident with a lorry on the M4.

Surgeons at the JR’s craniofacial unit had to rebuild her face almost from scratch over the course of 10 operations, giving her a new nose and skin.

To say thank you the husband and wife and four of their friends are taking on one of the toughest races in the country to raise money for the unit – the Tough Mudder.

The group of friends already took on a similar but much easier mud race last year – the 10km Mudderella in Kettering. Now they are ready for the ultimate challenge.

The race in Henley on Saturday(MAY2) will see them run an exhausting 20km and try to swim through mud, climb over walls and take on other bizarre obstacles.

They are hoping to raise £5,000 for the hospital and have already reached £1,350, but appealed to Oxford Mail readers to help them get to their target.

Mrs Underdown, who grew up in Abingdon and went to Fitzharrys School, said: “I am not going to lie, its been really difficult for Josh and I to deal with both physically and mentally. But I feel strongly that I would not be the person who I am today without being part of this fantastic department.

“The least I can do is return my gratitude by fundraising for them as a thank you.”

On the night of the accident, the young couple had been to see comedian Lee Evans at the O2 Arena in London.

Because they were saving for their upcoming wedding, they decided not to get a hotel in London, but drive back that night.

Mrs Underdown, who now works at Oxford University, said: “Looking back, it was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

Mr Underdown was driving and his fiancéen-Miss Fisher, 23 at the time, was asleep when the accident happened. She woke up four days later in intensive care.

Most of her operations have been to rebuild her nose, but she has also had titanium plates put in to support her eye sockets, which were fractured.

There was also a lot of glass damage to her face and doctors used steroid injections to help the skin recover.

All over The work was overseen by her surgeon at the JR, Steven Wall.

She said: “I am so thankful to the department and to Dr Wall. It has been up and down, but I am very grateful to my friends and family and to my husband.”

Looking forward to the run, Mrs Underdown added: “I was intimidated at first, but I’m over that now."

“I’ve gone through regret and saying ‘I’m never going to do it’ – now the sponsorship is coming through I’m just really excited.”

Sponsor the Tough Muddy Monkeys online at justgiving.com/Lucy-Underdown