FOR Charlie Spence, cycling 1,500 miles is about more than raising money: It is about raising the status of a crippling mental illness that took her a decade to overcome.


On September 3, Charlie and her long-time friend Suzie Drewett will be making the mammoth journey from London to Gibraltar to raise awareness for bulimia, the eating disorder Charlie battled with for 10 years.


The pair, who grew up at the Beaufort Hunt pony club and do all their training in the Cotswolds, will spend 17 straight days in the saddle as they power though France and Spain, cycling between 70 and 100 miles every day.


This is not the first time that Charlie, who is 28 and lives near Foxham, and Suzie, 29, who lives near Aven and went to Westonbirt School, have donned their lycra for charity. Two years ago the pair cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats despite having almost no cycling experience, raising £1,700 for charity in the process.


“I remember it now as being fun but at the time it was really hard,” she said.


But the ride across Britain looks compared to what they are going to face this September.


This time they are hoping to raise £4,000 for the charity BEAT, a British based eating disorder charity which helps people suffering with difficulties with food, weight and shape.


It is a charity very close to Charlie’s heart.


“It all started from about the age of 13 or 14,” she said. “Bulimia completely controls your life and overrides any single decision you make," she said.


"It’s especially hard because almost all social situation revolve around food, and you’re always waiting to get away.


“It can be really lonely because it becomes a secret which you don’t tell anyone about.


“Mental health problems in general have a bit of a stigma because they aren’t visible."


Since Charlie “went public” with her problem an avalanche of people have been in contact to tell her they have been through similar things.


After years of battling, it was her boyfriend cheating on her that really gave her the kick she needed.


“He blamed it on the stress of having to deal with my bulimia, that was a massive wake up,” she said.
“My friend also caught me being sick and from then on I had help.


“I want to do this ride to show others who are struggling that there is hope, that they can beat it.”


Charlie was helped through her tough times by her friend and fellow cyclist Suzie who she said had been “loyal and supportive”.


They have also had help from the company Suzie works for, Robert Irving Burns, RDF group, Advanced Building Management Limited, Firetecnics Systems Limited and James Dyson.


To support the girls on their journey go to justgiving.com/charlieandsuze.