A former Army lance corporal with an incurable condition that attacks the nervous system and is likely to put him in a wheelchair is undertaking a grueling long-distance bike ride to raise money for charity and awareness of the condition.

Lee Morris, 28, who was diagnosed with Friedrich's Ataxia (FA) in 2003, is cycling in a custom-designed tricycle along much of the coast of the British Isles to raise money for Ataxia UK. His goal is to raise £10,000. So far he has raised some £2000.

Since starting his bike ride from his home in Dudbridge in Gloucestershire in early April, the father of five has so far travelled over 400 miles to Land's End and along a stretch of the South Coast.

The second leg of Lee's journey will take him along parts of the Welsh coast. Starting on April 27, he plans to cycle from Fishguard and then along the south coast of Wales, passing though Pembroke, Tenby, Kilgetty, St. Clears, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Swansea, Port Talbot, Porthcawl, Barry and on to Cardiff.

He plans to complete his four-legged marathon cycle ride in the coming months - an amazing feat for someone with the balance and co-ordination problems caused by his debilitating condition.

Ataxia is a rare, progressive disease of the nervous system that typically affects the balance and speech of those who are affected. An estimated 10,000 people in the UK have ataxia (which means 'lack of order'), whose symptoms include staggering and having slurred speech, making them appear to be drunk when they are not. Friedrich's Ataxia is one of a number of different kinds of ataxia.

Lee's lifelong dream was to join the Army. His time in the Army took him around the world, but the first signs that something was wrong became apparent in 2002 when Lee became unsteady on his feet and started stumbling - a typical sign of ataxia.

At the end of 2003, he was diagnosed with Friedrich's Ataxia (FA) and had to leave the Army in May 2004. Even though Lee's condition means he can't be the active father he wants to be, despite the fact that he thinks he can't play football, his eldest thinks that daddy is a great goalie.

Lee says: "Ataxia, for me, is slowly robbing me of all I loved to do and everything I used to take for granted. This is why I'm doing this ride. It's too late for me but maybe one day they'll find a cure and no one else will have to go through this."

The charity Ataxia UK exists to support those who have ataxia and their families and others who are affected by it.