By the start of 2023, we made a collective decision, this was the year we’d go all in.
We stepped away from our full-time jobs & took a risk most people wouldn’t: instead of growing AFA slowly within one community, we went national. We packed our gear, our passion, & a belief so big it felt like it couldn’t be contained anymore.
If you’d been sitting around the fire with us throughout that summer, you would’ve seen it in our eyes, we were running on passion, sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, & all-in.
At the launch of our first full national tour, we weren’t out just to prove our process, but to meet the families who had reached out with so much hope the year before. We traveled to cities all across the country, running Adventure Biking camps for dozens of exceptional athletes. Each week was filled with joy, grit, & families realizing: this is what we’ve been waiting for.
But even in the celebration of all these miracle moments, I felt a weight in my chest—because as we left each community, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were leaving families behind. How could these families keep growing without us physically being there? Here we were sparking belief, but not yet giving them a way to sustain it.
I couldn’t shake this question or thought.
Then came a moment I’ll never forget.
I was on the Gravel Family podcast in Lincoln, Nebraska, when the host, Jason, asked, “So how do you plan to expand your reach to more families?” I had received this question a thousand times before, but in that moment, a voice inside me said “through education” & then I blurted out: “We’re going to build an education platform. I had never said this before, & I know my team was like “uhhhh we are?” haha, but I felt it in my bones.
That was the answer I was seeking all summer. That’s the bridge. I didn’t know how we were going to do it yet, or what all it entailed, but I knew this was the direction we needed to head.
About a month later, in Ketchum, Idaho, while coaching one of our athletes, I got an email from a father in the UK. I remember deleting it before even opening it because I thought it was spam, but something told me to dig it back out of the trash & read it. His name was Kelvin. He’d been trying to teach his son, Joshie who has Down syndrome, to ride a two-wheel bike for years. & he said, “After hearing you speak on the Gravel Family Podcast, I believe it’s still possible.”
A few weeks later, in Ketchum, Idaho, while coaching one of our athletes, I got an email from a father in the UK. I almost deleted it. Something told me to dig it back out of the trash.
The email read:
“My son, Joshie, is 22 & he's brilliant. He's funny, charismatic & always leaves an impression on anyone he meets. He was born with Down Syndrome. For years I tried to teach him to cycle but it just never all came together. There always seemed to be something he'd forget to do or some stumbling block. After years of trying, I sort of gave up. I just thought it wasn't something he'd be able to do, & so I stopped trying. Instead I put some adult stabilizers on his bike, but it was horrible. He fell off and lost all confidence. He has put on a lot of weight & become less active.
Seeing what AFA is doing has lit a fire under me again. I now see that he can do it, & I just lacked the patience, or the structure, or something. With the right support I know he could do it.
We live in the UK &, whilst I'd love to attend one of your programmes, I know it's not realistic for us. & I can't find any other organisation over here that has your approach. There are charities that have a stock of adaptives bikes, which is fantastic for some, but it's not right for Joshie. He has more potential.
On the podcast you spoke of building up education to help spread your approach, & so I'm wondering if you have anything you could share that could guide me in the right direction.
- Is there a specific step-by-step approach that I could take to get him to where he needs to be?
- Is there any type of bike that would help?
- Any tips to improve his physical conditioning?
I ride gravel here in the Cotswolds & the Forest of Dean, & I'd absolutely love to be able to share that passion & freedom & sense of adventure with my son, & by extension, with our whole family.”
I immediately set up a zoom call with Kelvin & Joshie. I guided him remotely—doing weekly zoom calls, sending instruction & videos taken on an Iphone, & in 12 weeks, Joshie was riding independently. That moment... it was proof. Real, raw, world-changing proof. Not just of Joshie’s potential & growth, but of something even bigger. We were no longer just running programs. We were creating something bigger. A digital platform. Accessibility & empowerment for families all over the world. A global movement.
That was the moment of clarity. Taking this risk in 2023 wasn’t just about serving families all over the nation, it was about a path to finding the answer for the future. That was the moment AURORA, a platform inspired by parents, for parents took root.
Suggestion: If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch ‘PAVING THE WAY’ the documentary of our summer tour, we suggest watching it here!
