AN Oxfordshire woman will join her Oxford colleagues to take on a 50-mile charity bike ride in memory of her mother who died from a stroke.

Zuzana Simpson, 42, from Didcot, was inspired to take on the challenge after her mother, Lubomira, passed away in 1992, at the age of 41 and will donate the money for the ride to the Stroke Association.

Zuzana, her partner and work colleagues from Elsevier, in Oxford, are taking on the 50 mile route as part of the Great Notss Bike Ride on Sunday June 25.

Zuzana said: “Not a day goes by where I don’t think about my mum. She was a wonderful woman who brought so much happiness in all our lives.

“I wanted to take on this challenge to support the Stroke Association so they can be there for more people affected by stroke. Stroke can be so sudden and devastating. I want to help the charity in raising more awareness about the condition.

“I’m so grateful my boyfriend, Simon and colleagues are joining me on the day. It’s lovely to know that I’ll have such a supportive team by my side. We’ve recently held a buffet and raffle in the office to help with our fundraising. I can’t wait to take part, I’m trying to squeeze in as much training as possible!”

Emma Strong, Community and Events Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, added: “With more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year, it’s vital that we have people like Zuzana and her wonderful colleagues at Elsevier to help raise vital funds.”