Olympic hopeful in fundraising ride

A Team GB volleyball star from Wolverhampton has taken to two wheels to help keep her Olympic dreams alive.

Along with her team-mates from the British women's squad, Laura Beardsmore, originally from Pendeford, has just completed a bike ride from Sheffield to Earls Court in London the 2010 Olympic volleyball venue.

The women set out on their mammoth 310-mile trek to raise cash after a cut in funding.

Laura, aged 21, a former Wolverhampton Girls' High School pupil, took up the sport as a youngster and has turned out for City of Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Tigers.

She is now based in Sheffield where the British team trains.

She said of the fundraiser: "We surprised ourselves with how much we enjoyed it.

"The ride was hard and we did ache but we are such a close team."

The team is currently counting up how much the bike ride raised. Laura and her team-mates are now trying to find short-term contracts to play abroad.

The group is looking for sponsorship from any businesses and anyone interested can log onto www.gbwomensvolleyball.co.uk.