Mum-to-be Laura Bingham’s charity cycle challenge

Adventurer Laura Bingham is setting out on a cycle challenge this weekend across Ireland – while 34 weeks pregnant.nnShe’s the latest celebrity to become an ambassador for the Children’s Air Ambulance and she will be promoting and supporting our lifesaving work.nnA keen traveller, Laura has undertaken jaguar conservation work with the government in Mexico. In 2014 she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean over the course of two months as part of a small crew on a 38ft trimaran.nnTwo years later Laura crossed the continent of South America by bike with no money and only the equipment she could carry in her panniers. She cycled 7,000km over 164 days from Manta on the Pacific coast of Ecuador, to Buenos Aires on Argentina’s Atlantic coast, relying solely on human kindness and generosity. Laura lives in Leicestershire with her husband, fellow explorer Ed Stafford.nnAfter visiting our airbase in Coventry to see the work of the charity first hand, one of Laura’s first endeavours as ambassador is to cycle across Ireland, while 34 weeks pregnant, to raise funds for the charity.nnWith support from www.cyclebike.ie she will cycle 135 miles from Dublin to Galway over the course of four-and-half days from 30th April 2017.nnYou can donate here: (www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Laura-Bingham-Ireland-cycle) and follow her progress on Instagram and Twitter @laurabingham93.nnLaura will also take part in the Arcelormittal Orbit Abseil – 262ft down the UK’s tallest sculpture at London’s Olympic Park on 10 September 2017.nnShe said: “I am honoured to be an ambassador for such a life-changing charity. Having visited the airbase and spoken to the pilots, I was immediately struck by the incredible work they do, but also the challenges they face as a result of receiving no government funding.nn”Literally every single penny raised for the Children’s Air Ambulance is strategically spent to keep the organisation cost efficient, they don’t take a single penny for granted and I’m very excited to be supporting and raising money for them on my cross-Ireland cycle.’nnYou can sign up for the Arcelormittal challenge here . Listen to Laura on BBC Radio Leicester here (about 2:36).