Updated on Jan 9th 2013 at 12:23 AM from the JustGiving API

About 200,000 people in the UK have diagnosed AS. Here's an excellent BBC site which explains the condition a little more http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/ankylosing1.shtml

What do all the following people have in common: Mick Mars, guitarist for Mötley Crüe; Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik, Russian world chess champion; Mike Atherton, English cricket player; Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and - not forgetting - lovely me!

We all have a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. Athletes, politicians, chess champions and rock gods - we can all get it. So on April 1st and 2nd 2013 I'm walking 50 miles to raise awareness, and to raise funds for research.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is often overlooked, but it is a type of arthritis which can start quite young - often between 15 and 35 years of age - and is three times more common in men than women.

AS is a type of chronic (long-term) arthritis that affects parts of the spine, including bones, muscles and ligaments.The condition can be severe, with around one in 10 people at risk of long-term disability. Often it's misdiagnosed - and that was the case with me.

So I'm walking 50 miles as I turn 50 years of age to raise awareness of AS, challenge my advancing years (regular excercise is good for AS), and raise some funds for research at the same time.

So, thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please donate whatever you can to NASS - the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society - and help fund research into AS which will help others.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.