Cycling is a big part of Marie Cook's life. A member of Gloucester City Cycling Club and Cheltenham Cycling Touring Club, there is nothing more she likes than jumping on a bike and riding around the glorious Gloucestershire countryside.

The 52-year-old admits that she’s not a competitive rider.

When she moved to the county from Liverpool 45 years ago, she joined Gloucester City and took part in 10-mile time trials but soon found that the competition wasn’t for her.

So she joined the Cheltenham touring club where they think nothing of going on a leisurely ride of anything up to 80 miles on a Sunday.

Marie is passionate about getting more people to take up cycling.

She joked that her 14-year-old son Simon, a pupil at St Peter’s School in Gloucester, has no choice about getting involved but she is desperate for others to experience the joy of cycling.

She is particularly keen to get more women to take up the sport and as such has become heavily involved in Breeze Rides, a programme that was set up by British Cycling six years ago to encourage women to have fun on their bicycles.

Marie is now a Breeze champion which means she is qualified to lead rides around the county.

“Cycling is such fun and it’s just about getting the message out there,” said Marie. “I have to lead 12 rides a year and the more people who come along the better.”

Marie can regularly be seen out and about on bicycle with her friend Jane Joyner, from Brockworth. Three years ago Val King started cycling with Marie. Initially they rode for two miles but now they can go out for up to 60-mile rides.

“A lot of people are frightened of cycling because of all the traffic but you can do a course which teaches you how to take control on the roads,” Marie said. “A lot of married women also say that one of the reasons they don’t go out cycling is because they can’t keep up with their husbands. Breeze can help change that.”

Marie is on a mission!