A 22-YEAR-old intensive care nurse is relying on peddle power to complete a gruelling 140-mile tandem challenge for charity.

Laura Holmes, who works in Darlington Memorial Hospital, will be in the rear saddle for the two-day Coast to Coast expedition.

Ms Holmes, from Heighington, near Darlington, will be joined by her boyfriend, Sean Nicholls, with the pair taking to the tandem bike on July 29 to cycle from Whitehaven, in Cumbria, to Tynemouth, North Tyneside.

The couple hope to raise funds for the Baby Beat appeal – a charity based in Preston, Lancashire, where Ms Holmes completed her nursing degree.

She said: “Baby Beat has helped people very close to both of us and we know how beneficial the charity can be to bereaved families.”

Her partner, Mr Nicolls, 24, added: “The route is 140 miles with challenging terrain, but the tandem didn’t make it hard enough.

“So we decided to push ourselves even further by doing the ride over two days instead of the usual three.”

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/seanlaura-tandem