As some of you know, I suffer from Kennedy's Disease (KD).  In 2013, my wife Kate was approached by Andy Symington, a good friend from Chamonix in the French Alps, to ask whether we'd consider him raising funds for KD via sponsorship of a cycle ride from Lake Geneva to Nice, the infamous "Route des Grandes Alpes".

At this point, I had kept news of my KD to close friends and family, but it was time to face up to it.  No longer would I hold back on telling people, or make excuses for my ever increasing falls, slow walking and slurring of speech.  As my condition continued to deteriorate, matters came to a head professionally in 2015 when my muscle weakness was becoming so acute, that I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without difficulty. I started using a walking stick and giving long presentations at work became a challenge due to weakening face muscles.  I decided to go to the company doctor, lay the honest truth of my mobility before him and let him tell me if he thought I should continue flying. I had of course expected him to say all would be fine for another year or so but he didn't.  He told me to hang up my flying boots.

I continued to work in the Head Office looking after pilot training but, even then, the fatigue that I encountered from a normal day began to take its toll. Enough was enough and that I’d have to give up the job that I’d been doing since I was 18 years old.  That was April 2016.

Since 2013, things have moved on.  Kate has set up Kennedy's Disease UK (www.kd-uk.com) with Andy, the only registered charity in the UK raising funds for research into KD, as well as awareness of what remains an often misdiagnosed disease.  Andy has organised a 2nd ride, this time from Chamonix to Venice, through the Swiss Alps and Italian Dolomites.  There are 26 cyclists taking it on.

So why the JustGiving page?  I am certainly not capable of taking on the ride, I couldn't even ride 100 metres up the first hill.  Rather, with Kate, I am providing support and hoping I will be able to raise funds through their considerable efforts.  I very much feel part of the team and want to do what I can, even if I can't undertake the challenge.

If you can, please sponsor me so that we can raise funds for the charity.  It is run by entirely by volunteers, giving their time and resources for free.  The cyclists are also self-funding the ride, so all of your money goes directly to the research team at UCL, or into raising awareness.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.