While many women on a hen party would carouse to excess, former Bratton woman Vicki Martin will be working up a sweat by doing a triathlon.

The 34-year-old has managed to persuade up to 10 other friends and acquaintances to join her fitness regime and at the same time raise money for Mencap.

Miss Martin, who lives on the Lansdowne estate, near Calne, said: “I wanted to do something constructive for my hen do. All my friends are married and their hen dos were great fun, but I suppose I wanted to do something different.

“Also a lot of my friends have children and if a hen do was in Spain for three days they can’t go and leave their children at home. The triathlon was something they could come out for an hour’s training and keep fit and be looking slim for my wedding. I have lost two stone from running and dieting.”

Miss Martin, who is originally from Bratton and lived in Devizes for several years, has done the Bath Half Marathon and trekked to Mount Everest.

The majority of the women joining her have done half marathons or half triathlons before.

Miss Martin said: “My head bridesmaid Anna Hunt, of Chippenham, thought I was absolutely crazy when I told her what I was doing and thought ‘no way.’ “But after giving it some careful thought, she thought ‘why not’ and has been very supportive.”

Also joining Miss Martin is her twin sister Nadine, of Market Lavington, who is her chief bridesmaid.

The triathlon is on July 14 and starts at 8am with a quarter-of-a-mile swim at Westbury Pool, followed by a 14-mile bike ride to the Black Horse pub in Bath Road, Devizes, and finishing off with a four-mile run along the canal towpath to the Bridge Inn at Horton.

Miss Martin, who works as a gilder in Oare, hopes they will finish about midday. Following their efforts a friend will take them on a boat trip to Honeystreet after which they will go home and change and go on to a restaurant in Bath in the evening for a meal.

Miss Martin’s wedding is on August 11 to Donal Behan, a digger driver, in St James Church, Bratton.

The triathlon is raising money for Mencap which helps people with learning disabilities.

Miss Martin’s cousin Jonathan Doel, 21, of Westbury has Fragile x syndrome, which means he has the mental age of a child. He lives as ordinary a life as possible and currently goes to college near Yeovil, funded by Mencap.

Miss Martin has an online site for donations. Go to www.justgiving.com/ vickimartinhen