She's all heart! 'Keen cyclist' Pippa Middleton beams as she launches London to Brighton charity bike ride
- Pippa Middleton helped to launch the London to Brighton bike ride
- The 31-year-old will be taking part in the 54 mile charity ride in June
- Last year, she raised £15,000 for the British Heart Foundation
- She did it by riding a bike across the US with a group of friends
Like her sister, the Duchess of Cambridge, sporty Pippa Middleton is no slouch when it comes to getting fit.
Now the 31-year-old has revealed that she is to take part in the London to Brighton bike ride in June in a bid to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
The event, which is now in its 40th year, sees 25,000 cyclists descend on the seaside city each summer and has raised a total of £65m for the charity so far.
She's all heart! Pippa Middleton will be taking part in the London to Brighton bike ride in June
Speaking at the launch, Pippa described herself as a 'keen cyclist' and said she would be taking part in the 54 mile ride herself.
'As a keen cyclist, I am thrilled to be involved in this milestone year of the London to Brighton Bike Ride,' said the 31-year-old.
'This event is testament to the fact that cycling is such a great inclusive sport that everyone can enjoy and at the same time, through the money raised, it continues to help millions of people affected by heart disease.
'Whether you want to ride as part of a team or go the challenge alone, registration opens on Saturday 17th January so sign up. I look forward to seeing you all at the start line in June.'
The London to Brighton Bike Ride was launched in 1975 by street performer Robert Stredder and his partner after they decided to organise a bike version of the London to Brighton car rally.
Ambassador: The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister is a supporter of the British Heart Foundation
Sporty: The 31-year-old, seen here with her stockbroker boyfriend, says she is a 'keen cyclist'
Active: Favourite sports include tennis (she is pictured here at Wimbledon), running and skiing
Since then, the event has expanded from 36 riders in the first year to more than 25,000 cyclists and is now the oldest and largest charity bike ride in Europe.
'The London to Brighton Bike Ride has gone from being a jaunt down to the seaside for a group of friends, to an event which people have on their bucket lists,' added Tristam Jones, Head of Events at the BHF.
'Whether people take on the ride as a one off challenge or come back year after year, what is unchanging is the unity and commitment we see every year from thousands of people willing to helping others.
'We’re very proud of what this ride has achieved and thank all of those who have played their part.'
Pippa has long been a supporter of the heart health charity and last year raised £15,000 after taking part in a fundraising bike ride across the US.
She is also an official ambassador for the charity - a role that she has added to her work as a columnist, author and editor of Party Pieces in-house title, The Party Times.
In her most recent column for Vanity Fair, she discussed another of her favourite sports - skiing - and listed her favourite resorts in which to indulge.
Marathon: Last year, Pippa took part in the 26-mile Engadin Ski Marathon in Switzerland's St Moritz
Passion: She also used her last Vanity Fair column to discuss her love of the sport - and her favourite resorts
Among her favourites was Verbier, unsurprisingly also popular with the Royal Family and close to Geneva where her stockbroker boyfriend Nico Jackson now lives.
'Come wearing either a party hat or powder skis; there's never a dull moment at this resort,' she writes about the Swiss resort.
'Verbier is for serious skiers who love off-piste and moguls,' she adds. 'On-piste skiing here isn't too challenging.'
Indeed, Prince Andrew, his daughter Prince Eugenie and Prince Harry's former girlfriend Cressida Bonas were pictured enjoying a weekend getaway at the Swiss resort.
The family were happily ensconced in a luxury £22,000-per-week chalet when news of sex abuse allegations levelled at the prince were revealed.
Top choice: Pippa, seen here in St. Mortiz, chose that resort as well as Switzerland's Zermatt and Verbier
Loved: Another favourite is the Austrian resort of Lech which she often visits with boyfriend Nico Jackson
Ms Middleton, who was not staying with the royals at the time, began writing for Vanity Fair in June 2013 and is widely known to be a skilled and enthusiastic skier.
She has even competed in a number of cross country races at some of the very resorts featured in her recent column.
In March 2013, the socialite and her banker boyfriend Nico Jackson took part in the 26-mile Engadin Ski Marathon in Saint-Moritz, Switzerland, alongside Ms Middleton's younger brother James.
The following year the couple slowed things down a bit in order to enjoy a more relaxed getaway in Lech Am Alberg, Austria. Both resorts are included in her Vanity Fair piece
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