text: Christy Turlington Burns may be about to run her fourth marathon in as many years, but the former supermodel insists that childbirth was by far her toughest challenge yet. The former supermodel, who's gearing up for the London marathon on 26 April, told Red Magazine that giving birth has been her toughest physical challenge. And Christy, who suffered a potentially life-threatening complication shortly after the delivery of her daughter Grace, now 11, said today she's feeling 'stronger and healthier' than ever. Scroll down for video . Fitness fanatic: Christy Turlington, pictured last month training for the upcoming London Marathon, says that after experiencing a tricky childbirth, 'anything' seemed possible, including three marathons to date . Christy - who is mother to daughter Grace and son Finn, eight, with her husband of 11 years Edward Burns, 47 - had just given birth to Grace in 2003 when she was struck with a post-partum haemorrhage, causing her placenta to become embedded in her uterus wall. She suffered massive blood loss and was forced to undergo a painful procedure whereby the doctors manually tore her placenta free without pain relief - an experience that could easily have killed her had she not been in such good hands. ‘I actually feel stronger and healthier than ever,' she says. 'Giving birth was probably the most empowering thing I’ve ever done physically. I was like, now I can do anything. I can run a marathon… I can run three marathons!’ Her experience inspired her to launch Every Mother Counts in 2010. 'I guess my own experience of childbirth was the epiphany,’ she says of her decision to launch Every Mother Counts in 2010, an organisation dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for mothers around the world. Getting better with age: The 46-year-old mother-of-two, pictured in 2013 with her kids Finn, eight, and Grace, 11, insists she's feeling 'stronger and healthier' than ever . Good cause: Christy, pictured training her first marathon in 2011, launched Every Mother Counts in 2010, an organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for mothers around the world . Dedicated: According to the brunette stunner, 98 per cent of pregnancy-related deaths in the developing world are preventable - a statistic she's determined to change . She said: ‘What I realised was actually how lucky I had been that so many women don’t even get to choose when they become pregnant.' 'They don’t get to choose whether they will be medicated, or have a natural birth. This is just how it is, and it’s not an ideal way to bring life into the world, I don’t think.’ According to the brunette stunner, 98 per cent of pregnancy-related deaths in the developing world are preventable. But, as she points out, the U.S. is one of the eight countries worldwide where maternal deaths are on the rise. Christy, who became famous alongside Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista in the era of the supermodels, now runs marathons in aid of Every Mother Counts. She said she is determined to strengthen the 'sisterhood' between mothers around the world, wherever the happen to be. Last month, the former face of Calvin Klein was unveiled as the celebrity face of Apple Watch. She appeared in a promotional video to promote the gadget's fitness software, in which she is shown training for a half marathon in Africa, in order to highlight Apple's partnership with Every Mother Counts. Trauma: Christy, pictured with her husband Edward Burns, 47, had just given birth to Grace in 2010 when she was struck with a postpartum haemorrhage, causing her placenta to become embedded in her uterus wall .
target: Supermodel gearing up for her fourth marathon in London this month .
  Almost died having her daughter and now wants to help other mums .
  Christy, 46, set up Every Mother Counts to help women around the world .