Rebecca Wills, 30, of Stubbs Moor Road, Farnborough, broke her arm, both legs, and suffered rib injuries and bruising in the car crash in South Africa in which Sam lost his life.

Sam ran for Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow Athletics Club, which he joined at age 11. He won the national 10,000-metre title in 2002. He ran internationally for many years and also held the Yateley Road Races record.

The athlete went to South Africa for warm weather training in a bid to secure a place in the Olympic Games’ 5,000m race. Rebecca flew to meet him a few weeks later.

The couple had met at the world cross country championships in Dublin in March 2002 and became friends, later moving in together in Farnborough.

“He loved life,” said Rebecca. “Sam was a very happy person, he lived life to the full. He was an attractive person, very funny and kind.

“He was dedicated to his sport — his best year to date was probably 2002. He came fifth in the 5,000 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester with a time of 13.19, which was brilliant.”

Sam was hailed as the only British man capable of challenging Kenyan domin-ance in distance running.

The couple were driving back to where the athlete was staying in Potchefstroom, after visiting Rebecca’s aunt in Johannesburg on the night of Friday April 23, when Sam swerved to avoid an animal or human which ran into the road.

The car left the road and ploughed into a field, rolling over several times. Sam died instantly.

Rebecca lost consciousness and only remembers being pulled out of the car.

“I wasn’t bothered about myself,” she said. “I just wanted to be left alone. I kept telling them to get Sam.

“It was only when I was in the ambulance that I looked down at my arm and thought that it didn’t look normal.”

Rebecca was lucky to have survived the accident and was told afterwards the couple had been robbed in the field as they lay unconscious.

“They had taken both our wallets and my watch,” she said. “What type of person could do that?”

After initial treatment at the hospital, Rebecca was told Sam had not survived.

“It was awful,” she said. “I couldn’t feel anything for days. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I was completely numb. If I’m honest I just wanted to die as well. We had talked about getting married — we had been together for over two years and to be told that Sam had died was devastating.

“I have had a lot of support from people through this. My mum has been so supportive. She really liked Sam. People from UK Athletics were also brilliant, especially Zara Hyde-Peters and the athletes who were with me at the time in South Africa.”

Sam also worked part time with Rebecca, a physio-therapist, at the Active Sports Therapy centre in Farnborough on the reception desk. She said: “He meant a lot to his colleagues and the patients and they will all miss him too. In South Africa I visited the chapel of rest where they put Sam. I said to him that we all loved him and all missed him, and that we would never forget him.”

Sam leaves behind his parents, a 17-year-old brother and 31-year-old sister.

His funeral will be in Feltham on Monday May 24.

Picture: Rebecca Wills with Sam Haughian in South Africa