A GIRL turned from athlete to hero after she came to a dog walker's aid when out on a run.

Roisin Ruddy was jogging through the Slag Bank area in Millom on Sunday when she heard a cry for help from a woman and went ‘sprinting over’ to her aid.

The woman, Lucy, had slipped on the ice and was in need of an ambulance.

Roisin took the walker’s dog to her car so that she was able to call for an ambulance.

It is thought that she had injured her ankle so could not get up, and as she is only 11, Roisin was unable to help her to her feet.

She approached Susan Colwell, who later posted on social media praising her efforts, to stay with Lucy while she took her dog to the car.

Roisin also stayed with her after Susan came, as she needed to take her dog back.

The Millom School student stayed with the woman until the ambulance arrived, despite only being in running gear, and was getting cold in the winter weather.

The 11-year-old said: “I am a very caring person and I would not walk past anyone who is in need, I would always help them.

“I achieved a real sense of pride afterwards, I felt obligated to stay with her and help her, I had a duty of care.”

Roisin’s father, Wayne Ruddy, said: “I had been up in the Lakes walking and I had seen on her running tracker that she had not been out for a run and thought this was just an excuse, because she was supposed to be training for the championships.

“It turned out to be true after I got a briefing from my wife on what had happened.

“Luckily she has an awareness of injury and how to handle these situations, because we do a lot of outdoor activities as a family, and she is quite first aid concious.

“She is a caring person and she should be proud of what she did.”

After qualifying, Roisin has been selected by her school to represent the county in the North Of England championships on February 8, so hopes that in future she will not have to stop to help more people during her training time.

She received a lot of plaudits from the community after her heroic deed.