2024 wasn’t flashy, but it was defining.
We started the year with something we’d never had before: a full-time team. Four full-time employees, five part-time. For the first time, we had the people to build the vision with structure, but also, the weight of making it sustainable.
& the mission had grown. We weren’t just building programs anymore, we were building a platform. AURORA wasn’t a someday idea. It was an idea that needed action now, & that meant making real decisions about how we show up for families when we can’t be in the room.
Meanwhile, Kelvin, the same dad who helped spark this vision, was continuing to run Adventure Biking camps in the UK, creating connection & belief for more families like his. It showed us that this idea… works. It scales. It connects. But it also challenged us to zoom out & ask: What exactly are we trying to build?
That’s when we realized: AFA wasn’t just an adventure program. It was a movement for lifelong growth. That’s where the rebrand was born. Morgan led the charge, & together, we reshaped AFA into an education & community organization with a vision to “Create a Life of Adventure.”
This year, we defined the 4 pathways of AURORA:
- Outdoors For All
- Education For All
- Careers For All
- Independence For All
They became the backbone of our platform & a roadmap for every family to raise their child with confidence, clarity, & community.
& while all of that was unfolding, our athletes continued to redefine what’s possible. Josh completed his second 100-mile gravel race at SBT. Christian finished the Big Sugar 100. Not as inspiration, but as proof. They weren’t being celebrated because of their exceptionalities. They were being celebrated because of their achievements.
& yet… This wasn’t the easiest year.
We had to make one of the hardest calls in our history, to align our internal culture. Some wanted AFA to stay small. But we started this organization to challenge the global narrative around disability. To serve the 240 million families who are seeking hope, belief, and growth.
So we made hard decisions. We got clear. We got aligned.
& by the end of 2024, we had 4 full-time team members standing shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to take this to the world. Communities in Sarasota, Bentonville, Boulder, & Cheltenham were ready to carry the flame forward.
This wasn’t the year we launched big things. It was the year we prepared to. & that’s what makes it unforgettable.
Suggestion: If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch ‘SBT GRVL’ the documentary of Josh taking on his second 100 mile race visit our films page today!
