Two riders from Sheppey are part of a group of 100 who will be pushing themselves to the limit in a gruelling 270-mile cycle for charity.

Scott Langworthy and Aidan Christie, owner of The Red Lion pub in Blue Town, are taking part in the Demelza 101 challenge from Sittingbourne to Paris.

It aims to raise £100,000 for Demelza Hospice Care for Children in Rook Lane, Bobbing.

The fundraiser, which sets off from the hospice on Wednesday, April 30, is the first of its kind for the charity.

The four-day challenge through Dover, Calais, Abbeville and Beauvais will finish under
Paris’s Eiffel Tower on Saturday, May 3.

Mr Langworthy, 41, of St Helen’s Road, Sheerness, said he is feeling confident.

He said: “Once we have done this, we will look for more to do. Seeing the children and how Demelza supports them and their families makes you want to carry on.”

So far, the pair have raised £3,000 for the charity and hope to reach their joint target of £3,500 before the start.

Riders have to raise a minimum of £1,750, of which £750 goes towards accommodation and costs and the rest to the cause.

Mr Christie, also 41, said the training, which started in January, has been intense. On average, the riders will be doing 70 miles each day.

He said: “We have been talking about and training for the cycle for a long time, but it’s all getting a bit real now.

“I’m excited about the whole thing, not nervous.”

Emma Austen, Demelza’s community events co-ordinator, said: “We are so excited that our first Demelza 101 challenge is now only a few weeks away.

“Our team of riders are a real mix of ages and abilities and to see their enthusiasm for the forthcoming ride and all their hard work in fundraising and training over the past few months has been so touching.”