Racists tried to ruin a mural depicting Leeds legends with offensive graffiti.
They scrawled disgusting racial slurs, the word 'nonce', and other insults on the mural at Clarence Dock, which includes paintings of Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams, playwright Alan Bennett and humanitarian Sue Ryder.
Emma Ross covered some of the slurs, after spotting them during a run, and there are plans to bring the artist back so they can restore the mural.
Emma said: "I run down there every day and I love it, but a few days ago I noticed someone had defaced this amazing artwork.
"I only covered the one about Nicola and the one that said 'nonce'.
"The others were rude but not offensive so I left them. If I had painted them it would have completely damaged the mural as they were on their foreheads.
"They had written 'millionaire' across Sue Ryder's forehead and something else on Alan Bennett.
"I just couldn't leave it to offend people any longer, so after trying all day to track down the artist to ask for his permission to cover it, or to see if he wanted to do something with it first and having no joy, I went down and covered it up."
She added: "There are many people of all ethnic backgrounds who use the tow path, including children and I wasn't willing to let them feel the impact it had on me. It was absolutely vile."
The incident has been reported to Leeds City Council.
Cllr Paul Wray said: "The mural is on a wall owned by Canal and River Trust and the plan is to try and get the original artist to repair it if possible.
"In the meantime, they will look to cover the bits in question until it's restored."
Last year, Adams called time on her professional career after six fights, due to concerns about an eye injury.
She became the first female boxer to win an Olympic title when she took gold at London 2012 and then became the first female boxer to become a double Olympic champion when she won another gold medal at Rio 2016
