A YORK woman with multiple sclerosis and her husband are saddling up to tackle two charity bike rides next month.

Karen and Ben Vogelsang, of Barkston Road, Acomb, will take on the Selby Three Swans Sportive on September 2 to raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The couple, both aged 52, will be cycling the event’s 30-mile route.

A week later they will enter the Heart of York Bike Ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on September 9.

They will ride the 26-mile route, which begins at York St John University Sports Centre.

Keen cyclist Karen, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) about four years ago, wants to prove that the condition “doesn’t have to be a barrier to cycling or any kind of activity.”

She added: “I have got stronger.

"I can’t walk very far but I can cycle.

“I have done 30 miles before.”

Karen cycles to work at Letters Property Management on Walmgate every day, where she works as a finance administrator.

Speaking about raising funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research, Karen said: “I have never lost anyone to cancer, but my husband has lost his father.

“Everyone knows someone who is affected by cancer, even if it is not your immediate family.”

Karen is keen to raise funds for the BHF as her father died of heart failure.

He also worked in the BHF’s charity shop when he retired.

The couple are hoping to raise as much money as they can for Yorkshire Cancer Research and the BHF by taking part in the bike rides.

To support Karen and Ben and make a donation, call into Letters Property Management on Walmgate or contact Karen on Facebook.

MS is a condition that affects your brain and spinal cord.

In MS, the coating that protects your nerves (myelin) is damaged, and this causes a range of symptoms.