Actor Nancy Travis, Chef Biju Thomas, NASCAR Driver Natalie Decker Join as Celebrity Ambassadors of the Carolina Hills Classic, California Coast Classic Bike Tours
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / The Arthritis Foundation proudly announces actor Nancy Travis, chef Biju Thomas and race car driver Natalie Decker as the 2025 Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience Celebrity Ambassadors. Each will support the Foundation's inaugural Carolina Hills Classic Bike Tour, June 12-15, or the 25th anniversary California Coast Classic Bike Tour, September 6-13. As Ambassadors they will help raise awareness of the Tours and the Foundation - the leading source of arthritis information and resources in the U.S., in its mission to improve the quality of life of people living with arthritis and to one day find a cure.
The Carolina Hills Classic is a four-day, fully supported cycling event beginning in Greenville, South Carolina on June 12 and winding through the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills, returning to Greenville June 15. Building on the California Coast Classic legacy, this event aims to raise $250,000 in its inaugural year. The self-paced bike tour includes bespoke experiences and hotel lodging for all participants who meet or exceed a $4,000 fundraising goal.
The California Coast Classic offers a fully supported, scenic journey along the iconic Pacific coastline. The 2025 event will mark its 25th anniversary with a fundraising goal of $1.5 million to support arthritis research and community programs. Film and television actor Travis, who participated in the 2018 California Classic to honor her mother, will make an appearance to share stories about her reason at the finish line.
Chef Biju Thomas will ride and share his story as a chef and a cyclist living with gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis. Thomas has been executive chef to scores of professional riders and race teams at top-level races, including Team USA Cycling at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Host of "The Road Less Eaten" show on Outside TV, Thomas is also co-author of the bestselling endurance athlete-focused The Feed Zone Cookbook series and has appeared on the Food Network with Guy Fieri.
NASCAR driver Natalie Decker Lemke, a longtime Arthritis Foundation supporter, also will support the Carolina Hills Classic. Decker, a North Carolina resident, volunteers in her community, motivates juvenile arthritis patients and their families and raises awareness of the urgent need for more rheumatologists for pediatric and adult patients. Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis as a child, the new mother now lives with rheumatoid arthritis. Despite the realities of her busy life, Decker uses her platform to encourage arthritis patients of all ages to live life to the fullest while managing their disease.
"We are thrilled to have Nancy, Chef Biju and Natalie sharing their time and talent with us to benefit the broader arthritis community," says Arthritis Foundation President and CEO Steve Taylor. "Their involvement will not only inspire the riders before and during the tours but also help raise crucial funds for the work we do at the Foundation. Both tours promise to be a memorable experience for all, with plenty of fun, community spirit, and of course, a shared commitment to finding a cure."
For more information, to register or to donate, please visit events.arthritis.org/cyclingexperience
About the Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation is fighting for all people who live with arthritis. As a Champion of Yes, the Arthritis Foundation's mission is to turn the obstacles arthritis causes into opportunities. The Arthritis Foundation champions life-changing solutions and medical advancements, and provides ways for people to connect, break down barriers in health care and join the fight for a cure - uniting hearts, minds, and resources to change the future of arthritis. To join the fight to cure arthritis, visit ?arthritis.org.
About Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience
The Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience believes that movement is medicine, bringing together passionate cyclists to make a difference for the 1 in 4 people in the U.S. 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. Both events are e-bike friendly and offer fully supported routes designed for cyclists of all experience levels, providing unforgettable riding experiences while making a lasting impact. The Carolina Hills Classic, held in June, is a four-day road biking adventure in the foothills of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains that includes hotel lodgings for all participants. The California Coast Classic, held in September, is an award-winning 8-day, 525-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. For more information and to register, please visit: https://events.arthritis.org/cyclingexperience.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill Konopka
Mower
jkonopka@mower.com
959-888-1554
SOURCE: The Arthritis Foundation
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