BEING an RNLI lifeguard means constantly being on top of your game, and fitness is vital for the lifeguards to help save lives across the coast this season.

Elin Jones, RNLI lifeguard supervisor for Ceredigion and Matt Horton, RNLI lifeguard inspector, are going the extra mile at the end of May to help raise funds for the charity that saves lives at sea.

Elin and Matt are joining 10 other RNLI employees from the headquarters in Poole to complete a 400-mile bike ride from Land's End, Cornwall, to St. Davids, Pembrokeshire.

The 'Tour de Farce' will start on Thursday, May 26, and the team aim to finish their epic journey on Bank Holiday Monday.

Elin commented: "I've done a few marathons and half marathons in the past, but nothing as high endurance as this before. We'll start as a group and plan to stay as a group throughout the challenge. It's not a race we are doing it to raise money for the RNLI."

Preparing for a challenge like Tour de Farce is no walk in the park, as Elin's weekly training schedule includes two spinning session, two swims, a small run and two outdoor bike rides - one that lasts between two-three hours and the other five-seven hours on the weekend.

She added: "As an RNLI lifeguard it's important to be physically fit to do the job. If I ask the lifeguards to have a certain level of fitness, I think it's important for me to be at the same level as well.

"We work for the RNLI which is a charity, and it's important to keep the charity the charity going because we do important work on the coast by saving lives on the beach as well as the work of the lifeboat crews on the sea. It's a great way to give something back to the RNLI as we raise money as well as raise our fitness for the season."

Team Tour de Farce have already raised over £2,000 towards the RNLI, but they need the public's help to raise the barrier and raise as much money as possible towards the charity that saves lives at sea.