WHEN four cycling friends heard about a little girl with a debilitating illness, how she had a “bucket list”, they wanted to help.

So in July they will be cycling the 70 miles coast-to-coast Exmouth to Instow in one day with the aim of raising at least £1,000.

The little girl, Paige has Dravet Syndrome, a condition that means she will regularly experience life-threatening seizures that need quick medical intervention.

It is a very rare syndrome and potentially catastrophic.  For the first five years of her life, Paige spent week after week plagued with seizures.  Then came three years seizure-free, until one horrible day in March when it happened again.

The four cyclists go to Future Bodies Gym and Health Club in Okehampton where Paige’s mum, Sam Slocombe, is one of the team and runs the spin class on the exercise bikes, where the four met her.

One time when she was away, they found out why, listened to the story of one of Paige’s seizures, found out about her “bucket list” and were determined to help.

Sam said: “A couple of weeks ago Paige had a really big seizure and that was when the guys found out about her.

“She has her own Facebook page, Promise for Paige, and any money left over will go to Devon Air Ambulance.  The air ambulance has been out to us nearly every two weeks for years, we have resuscitation equipment with us all the time.  We have had massive support from the gym.”

The four cyclists are Andrew Walker of Monkokehampton, organiser of the cycle ride, Steve Allen and Bill Pavely of Okehampton and Kevin Mears of Crediton.

Andrew said: “We have been coming spinning on the bikes at the gym and Sam has been so much into us getting our fitness back.

“I got talking to her and found out about her daughter and her illness and asked about us raising some money for one of her bucket list dreams.”

They will be starting from Exmouth and finishing at Instow on July 2, keeping off main roads as much as possible by using cycle tracks and trails.

Josh Ware owns Future Bodies gym at Fatherford.  An Okehampton boy, born and bred, he moved away for a time and then heard about this gym being for sale, so came back and bought it.

Andy had cycled the coast-to-coast raising funds for City Farms, Andy, Kevin and Bill have done the London to Brighton ride and Kevin the Nello, so none of them are strangers to long distance cycling.