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Just before her 31st birthday, Anna Droge was diagnosed with an aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis. About a year later, after what she called “a really scary doctor’s appointment,” she found comfort in something unexpected: a sky-blue T-shirt with a California Coast Classic logo. That shirt became her anchor through the tough moments that followed.
A noncyclist at the time, Droge signed up for the eight-day California Coast Classic tour and discovered far more than just the stunning scenery. “I have this amazing community that’s behind me and supportive and exactly what I need on hard days,” Droge shared in an Instagram video.
To celebrate 25 years of support through cycling and to further strengthen community connections in the Southeast, the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience has introduced a new fundraising tour: the Carolina Hills Classic. Both tours—sponsored by Amgen, a longtime Arthritis Foundation partner—raise money for the Arthritis Foundation, an organization Droge turned to after her diagnosis and credits with helping her climb out of the “very dark hole” of chronic illness.
The four-day Carolina Hills Classic starts on June 12 and will take cyclists through the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills on a scenic tour of Greenville and Clemson, South Carolina, and Brevard, North Carolina. Over approximately 250 miles, cyclists will pass by cascading waterfalls, explore quiet country roads, and visit energizing towns. The event will be fully supported and self-paced, offering bespoke experiences and hotel lodging for participants who meet or exceed a $4,000 fundraising goal.
One cyclist already onboard with the Carolina Hills Classic is chef Biju Thomas. During the tour, Thomas will share his experience with other participants as a chef and cyclist living with gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis.
As an executive chef for professional riders and race teams—including at the Paris Olympics last summer—and successful author and TV personality, appearing as the host of Outside’s The Road Less Eaten series, Thomas knows the excruciating pain and limitations that come with gout, but also the ways to overcome both with connection and community.
Those signing up for the Carolina Hills Classic will get the opportunity to ride with Thomas while also making a huge difference by supporting those impacted by arthritis, like Droge, across the country.
“We are ecstatic to celebrate our 25th anniversary with dedicated riders, volunteers, and Arthritis Foundation staff. With nearly 60 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children in the United States diagnosed and living with arthritis, the need to raise critical funds for research and support programs continues to grow,” said Shannon Marang Cox, national senior director of the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience. “Spots fill quickly, so we encourage early registration.”
The Carolina Hills Classic intends to raise $250,000 in its first year to support arthritis research and community programs.
Register now to support the Arthritis Foundation!
Carolina Hills Classic California Coast Classic
The Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience believes that movement is medicine, bringing together passionate cyclists to make a difference for the one in four people in the United States who have arthritis. AFCE produces two premier destination fundraising bike tours that fuel the Arthritis Foundation’s advocacy, scientific research, and life-changing programs: the Carolina Hills Classic Bike Tour and the California Coast Classic Bike Tour.
