Miss Universe Great Britain finalist teams up with Gosport adventurer for international ‘Blood, Sweat and Tiaras’ challenge

Allys Miller, 24, a model and entrepreneur from Fareham, and Paula Reid, 51, a keen adventurer and cyclist from Gosport, have united to take on a gruelling bike ride through three countries.

The challenge will form part of Allys’ journey towards the local finals of Miss Universe Great Britain where she will be competing in mid-July.

Blood, Sweat and Tiaras will see the pair cycle through Ireland, Hungary and Slovakia together over a total distance of 460 miles. They are fundraising for the charities Unseen, which works to combat modern slavery and help women working in the commercial sex industry, and A-Sisterhood, which promotes women’s causes across the world.

Allys says: ‘I want to challenge myself in an enduring way which can somewhat empathise with the cycle of suffering that the victims of these issues go through.

‘I have partnered up with Paula Reid, a serial challenge-setter, go-getter and charitable energetic soul. We have set ourselves a challenge that will push us (particularly me!) to the edge.’

The two were put in touch by Allys’ dad and have been planning the challenge for a month. They will set off with their bikes on the ferry from Fishguard and arrive in Rossclare at 4am on Friday, May 24, where they will begin their cycle through Ireland.

On their way back they hope to visit Llamau, a women’s homelessness charity in Cardiff which is supported by A-Sisterhood. The challenge is set to finish on June 4.

Allys and Paula are eager to raise awareness of women’s homelessness and human trafficking across the world and hope to inspire others to do the same. Paula praised Allys’ ‘genuine commitment to female empowerment’ and addressing these issues.

This challenge is also part of Paula’s ongoing project “Fifty Good Turns”, which involves her cycling through 50 countries for 50 different charities. She has already ticked nine countries off her list and recently cycled the length of the UK from John O’Groats to the South Coast.

Among her past adventures she has also made a 580-mile trek to the South Pole. Her fiancé Alex Alley is hoping to sail across the Atlantic in the ARC rally this November.