GOING the extra mile, two Launceston women will cycle from London to Paris, raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Kayleigh Stringer, 28, and Tammy Corney, 40, will be cycling 250 miles in July to raise money for vital heart disease research.

Tammy, the founder of Cornwall’s first ever Women’s Cycling Club the ‘Widger Spoke Easies’, said: “I decided to take part because my bike has given me so much pleasure in the last few years, taking me to beautiful places and meeting wonderful people.

“The Tour de France is the heart and soul of road cycling and this seemed like a fantastic opportunity to get up close and personal with professional cycling whilst simultaneously raising money for charity. Cycling is an accessible sport.

“I have cystic fibrosis and I hope every pedal turn is an investment in my own future health. I want to see more women out on their bikes, staying healthy and having fun.

“A charity ride like this one is a huge motivator and we’ll be training several times a week between now and then to prepare.

“But best of all, we’ll be raising money to power life-saving research to better understand how to diagnose, prevent and cure heart disease.”

Kayleigh, a service co-ordinator at Action for Children, explained that the pair will be running a number of fundraising events between now and July.

She said: “You can join us at No8 Café for a charity quiz and curry night on Saturday, March 12. Tickets are £10 per person and you need a team of four to take part in a fun, social evening where the food will be fabulous as always.

“To book a table/team you need to drop in and see Adi at No8, but do hurry as places are limited.

“Next month, we’re running a Great British ‘Bicycle’-themed ‘Bake Off’ at the White Hart Hotel on Saturday, April 9.

“Entries to the Bicycle Bake Off will be charged at £5 per class with payment due on the day and the cakes will be sold off whole or sliced afterwards to raise yet more funds. All cakes must be delivered to the White Hart between 9am and 9.30am on the morning of the event.

“There are four separate classes you can enter but every cake must reflect the cycling theme. Categories include: Class 1 — A sponge cake, any shape, any size any flavour, Class 2 — A cake with fruit, any shape, any size, any fruit, Class 3 — Miniatures (muffins, cup-cakes, pop cakes etc) where a minimum of four must be presented, and lastly Class 4 — The children’s class for age 12 and under, letting the children use their imagination to create a cake of their choice.

“If you aren’t baking but you want to buy and eat cake, then you need to come to the White Hart from 10.30am to 1pm!”

Nancy Smyth, head of events at the British Heart?Foundation, said: “Thanks to Tammy and Kayleigh for taking on this challenge and supporting the BHF. Without our supporters we cannot continue to fund life-saving research and provide those affected with the care and support they need.”

Coronary Heart disease claims around 73,000 lives per year and money raised by events such as Tammy and Kayleigh’s sponsored cycle will go to support more than 1,000 research projects in the UK focusing on heart disease.

To make a donation, to help support Tammy and Kayleigh visit their ‘JustGiving’ sites: www.justgiving.com/Tamasine-Corney or www.justgiving.com/KayleighCyclingLondon2Paris