GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Melanie Parker has been named as the fourth and final member of a team of four aiming to set a world first by cycling and rowing from the site of the 2012 Olympics in London to the new host city Rio.

The Row2Rio mixed crew – Mel’s team-mates are Johnny Keevill, Jake Heath and Tom Clark – are raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, as all four have been supported by the charity.

The team will set off in November, first tackling the 1,600-mile cycle ride to Gibraltar. They’ll then transfer to a rowing boat and set off across the Atlantic, a trip that’s expected to take two-and-a-half months, before reaching land in northern Brazil.

Then it’s back on the bikes for the 1,500-mile journey south, finishing with a row along the coast of Brazil to reach Rio in time for the 2016 Olympics.

Melanie, 27, is a member of Gloucester Rowing Club.