Charlton fan Michael Aquilina is currently cycling a mammoth trip across the globe to raise money for the PSP Association, a charity that helps people living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD).
Michael began his journey in London and is set to finish in Vietnam in late March, meaning he will have cycled through 21 different countries, all whilst wearing his Charlton shirt.
With just over two months still to go. he has already raised over £26,000 for charity. Click here to donate to Michael’s JustGiving page.
Speaking on the fundraising, Michael’s brother Ronan said: "He set off from London in April last year. Our dad died of PSP two years ago - it's a rare form of Parkinson's and it affects the sort of basic motor functions, so swallowing, chewing, speaking and your vision.
"A lot of larger charities get a lot of fundraising and income from other sources. PSPA solely rely on fundraising from their donors. It's a very rare disease and there's not much awareness around it, so it's typically only people that have been affected in some capacity that end up raising money.
"They're a very small charity. All of the proceeds go towards research. Because it's a terminal disease, there's no cure, so it goes to research and funds for support around families and individuals who've been diagnosed."
Ronan admitted that Charlton runs deep in both of their lives, with the pair both having season tickets at the club having grown up in the local area.
"We've got a big connection," he explained. "We're all Charlton fans and season-ticket holders. We all grew up playing in the park, so we've got very fond memories of the likes of Bob Bolder running those sessions."
Michael has already gone through the likes of Thailand and China on his travels, clocking up over 12,000km in distance, through 17 countries, whilst representing the Addicks along the way.
"There's not a lot of hope for families going through it, so that's why we found PSPA to be a really positive charity to fundraise for. Purely because they're the only support system for anyone around.
"The NHS doesn't know very much about it, so you get passed around a lot, and there aren't many sort of specialists. It's really important PSPA get their funding."
Michael's astonishing 11-month journey across the globe is set to finish on March 29th.
"There have been some real tough moments, mainly involving altitude and stomach problems," Michael explained. "I had to cycle through the deserts of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the middle of the summer, through 40-degree heat.
"I cycled the Babusar Pass, the third hardest climb in the world. It's 40km of gaining 3000m elevation, basically just uphill all day, except I had the added excitement of having an armed escort follow me up at a snail’s pace. At the top, I got stuck in a blizzard, and the armed escort had enough at this point and left me with 500m still left to climb. I reached the summit frozen solid and found some friendly locals to shelter with, around the dying embers of a fire.
"I have been gobsmacked by the generosity, kindness and sense of safety I've encountered. Whether it's truck drivers in the desert stopping to give you water, or people anonymously paying for food at a roadside stop for you, or families in remote villages taking you in, giving you warmth, food and a bed to sleep in."
Alongside his fundraising, Michael has also produced a blog which he regularly updates throughout his travels, which fans can view by clicking here.