Clare O'Shea, from Belleek is facing the challenge of a lifetime as she gears up to cycle through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. On May 26th, she will be donning her shorts and beginning a 117km cycle to raise money for Mencap Northern Ireland.

"The last time I got on a bike", she explained "was when I used to cycle to work in Belleek and that was 15 years ago. Now, I'm getting up every day at 7.00am to go for a cycle or work out in my local gym before heading to work. I must be mad."

The hard work, however, will all be worthwhile for Care if she succeeds in raising £3,000 for Mencap. For Clare, fund-raising with Mencap is an important part of her life. And, she explained why.

"Over the years, many members of my family have been involved in education. The difficulties they have experienced trying to gain classroom support for children with learning disabilities in mainstream education has meant many young children being removed from local schools and having to travel to Enniskillen for specialist education. Mencap is campaigning for the appropriate level of support services to be provided at local level."

Clare is well-known in Belleek for her work with Brollagh Youth Club, so she is hoping her local community will support her during her coffee morning on Saturday 14th April, from 10.00am-12.30pm, in the Wark Hall, Main Street, Belleek."My friends and family have been very generous", she reported, " and I hope other people in the village will sponsor me if they can. Even a few pounds will make a huge difference and mean Mencap can continue their invaluable work supporting families. The young people from the youth club will be assisting me on the day, and this is always a great help. It also offers them an opportunity to support a charity and gain the understanding that not all children are as lucky as hey are."

You can sponsor Clare by logging on to www.justgiving.com/cycleincanada