Two-year-old Jessica Lessells is used to exceeding expectations.
However, the disabled Fife girl has astounded her proud family by raising 10 times more than expected in a running festival.
Jessica has already defied doctors who predicted she would never walk, talk or even sit up unaided due to a rare brain condition.
But the determined toddler has gone even further by taking part in the Glenrothes Road Running Festival and raising a phenomenal £2,000 for the centre which has helped transform her life.
Jessica, who was joined by mum Karen Lowden, 39, dad Mark, 41, and big brothers Jake, 16, and 10-year-old Joshua, managed to complete the 300m junior track event with the help of a walking frame.
Crossing the finishing line was an emotional moment for the Glenrothes family who, just over year ago never dared hope the youngster would be able to even walk the length of her own living room.
Karen said strangers in the crowd were cheering Jessica on and many had tears in their eyes as she finished the race.
“She came way behind everyone else but she is still a winner to us,” said Karen.
Jessica was just eight months old when she was diagnosed with dysgenesis of the corpus callosum, which means the piece of her brain that sends messages from one side to the other does not work properly.
Her parents were told she would never walk, talk, interact normally with her family or have any understanding of the world around her. They said she would be able to lie but not sit. Then we had to walk out the door and there was no support or anything for us,” said Karen.
A few weeks later as Karen was shopping in Asda, she noticed one of the store’s nominated charities was the Forth Child Development Centre, which provides specialist help for very young children with disabilities.
The family contacted the centre and discovered they could refer Jessica themselves.
Now, thanks to the dedication of the staff there, she can walk with the aid of a frame, she is trying to talk and can communicate with sign language.
“She did really, really well during the race,” said Karen.
“We had a lot of breaks and a long break in the middle but she managed to finish the whole lot. I said initially we hoped to raise about £200 but we already have £1,400 in the bank and money is still coming in.
“I think in the end it will be £2,000.”
Karen said that far from it being a trial for the two-year-old, Jessica loved taking part in the race.
“She really enjoyed it. It was amazing,” she said.
“The best bit was when everybody watching her welled up. Total strangers were crying.”
Karen and Mark are still raising money for the Forth Child Development Centre and anyone who would like to donate can contact them at karstar@hotmail.co.uk.
Picture by George McLuskie