A TRIO of sporty siblings whose family has been blighted by breast cancer were inspired to take on a backbreaking bike ride for charity.

Team Bullen are made up of Sam, 26, Joe, 24, and Katherine, 21, all former pupils of Cliff Park High school in Gorleston, who recently took on and defeated a 60-mile bike ride from London to Cambridge to raise money for cancer research charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

They were inspired to do so by their grandmother Pam Bullen, who died in 2011 of breast cancer, and their mother Louise Bullen who is battling the disease.

Katherine, who lives with her mum in The Mews, Gorleston and is studying for a bachelor of science in physical education at Brunel University in London, said: “I had a very close relationship with my grandma, she was always a big role model in my life.

“She would have been very proud of us, she always thought we were very active.

“We had fun as well, when one of us was struggling we would encourage each other. I think this brought us even closer together.

“There is no point in moping around really, you should not have a defeatist attitude, we have raised over �1,000, if grandma had not been diagnosed we would not have done that.

She added: “The charity is a really good one, they try to better the treatment for breast cancer, it is important to raise awareness of it.”

The team cycled 60 miles in four hours and wore special Team Bullen t-shirts printed for the effort.

Mum Louise said: “My mother would have been proud that they did it as a team.

“We are a very tight knit family and we are coping with the situation as best we can.

“I am always supported by my family so it is fitting that my children did this together and supported each other in the difficult bike ride.”

In all, the team raised �1,050, a total which is still rising.

They are also united by a desire to teach, Katherine wants to pursue a career in physical education, Sam is a secondary school teacher and Joe is a primary school teacher in Chester.