Riding Her Way
A juvenile arthritis mom, Arthritis Foundation volunteer-turned-staffer and arthritis patient, Sheila Cline is the consummate Champion of Yes. Now her sight is set on the Arthritis Cycling Experience to support millions with arthritis.
By Bryan D. Vargo | Sept. 25, 2024
Sheila Cline was an avid cyclist in her teens and 20s. But her cycling, like so many hobbies, took a backseat to life’s curveballs. Although she still occasionally hopped on her bike for a ride, her pain from arthritis eventually forced her to hang up her bike helmet for good and simply live a sedentary lifestyle.
Sheila admits that many years of inactivity caught up with her after a hiking trip near Seattle. She noticed a significant increase in back pain and inflammation and she knew it was more than the scoliosis she has had since she was a kid. “I could barely move, my back hurt so bad,” she says. She tried many medications, but nothing seemed to work. She quit hiking, too, and finally sought help from a doctor, who diagnosed her with ankylosing spondylitis at age 50 in 2016.
Watching Her Daughter Grow Up With JA
It wasn’t Sheila’s first encounter with arthritis. Her daughter, Kinsey, had been diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 8 in 2008. Despite Sheila’s own pain and challenges, she says watching her daughter grow up with arthritis has been the hardest.
“As a parent, it was very difficult to hear that she has arthritis,” says Sheila, now 58. “You want to do anything you can to help.” At the time, Sheila was volunteering for another organization. But after Kinsey was diagnosed, she switched gears to support the Arthritis Foundation.
Sheila and Kinsey first started volunteering for the Arthritis Foundation through their local Jingle Bell Run. After a few years, a job opened up at the Arthritis Foundation, and in 2014, Sheila joined our staff full-time. She now works as associate director for our Kansas office. “The Arthritis Foundation has been a part of our family for so long,” says Sheila, adding that it’s a natural fit for her.
Over time, Kinsey has had multiple surgeries on her knees and ankles. “It was hard for her,” says her mother. Now 24 and inspired by those who did her blood work in her own care, Kinsey works as a phlebotomist at a local community blood center. “She’s still having issues,” Sheila says. “They now think she might also have Crohn’s [disease]. It hasn’t been easy for her, but I’m proud of her.”
Kinsey has always found a way to adapt, her mother points out. In high school, not to be sidelined by her arthritis, Kinsey taught herself how to play lacrosse by watching YouTube videos and through sheer determination. She quickly found that lacrosse required a lot of running, so she learned how to play goalie for her team. “That was so great for her emotional well-being,” says Sheila.
Ready to Resume Cycling Her Way
It turns out that mom is a lot like daughter in that respect. Sheila’s own ability to adapt recently inspired her to rekindle her love of cycling to improve her own physical and emotional well-being, per her doctor’s advice.
This year for her birthday, Sheila’s boyfriend surprised her with an e-bike, which provides pedaling assistance to ease the stress on joints. “I was just in tears because I’m like, ‘Oh, this is it now. My love of cycling from my younger days!’ And just being able to get out and get some very-needed exercise has been wonderful.”
So wonderful that Sheila signed up as a Ride Your Way virtual participant for the California Coast Classic Bike Tour, one of the Arthritis Foundation’s Arthritis Cycling Experience (ACE) premier bike rides. These rides, including the in-person California Coast Classic and the Carolina Hills Classic, plus the virtual Ride Your Way option, raise awareness and vital funds for arthritis research and life-changing resources for the nearly 60 million adults and children in the U.S. who live with arthritis.
Sheila aims to ride 525 miles — the length of the California Coast Classic — and raise $525 over two months. She says that’s the beauty of the ACE Ride Your Way virtual option: It’s convenient and doable. You set your own riding schedule — you ride when, where, however far and however you want — on your local roads, a nearby park or at home on a trainer before or after work. And you set your own fundraising goal. While you may not be riding in person in California or the Carolinas, you can still connect with the large arthritis cycling community online and be part of the team.
Sheila says it’s a great way to give back and get in shape at your own pace. Her inspiration has been not only her daughter, but also wanting to improve her own fitness so she can keep up with her 2-year-old grandson.
“That’s the thing about Ride Your Way. It’s convenient. I can ride the miles here locally but still support the California Coast Classic and those who live with arthritis.”
Sheila Cline was an avid cyclist in her teens and 20s. But her cycling, like so many hobbies, took a backseat to life’s curveballs. Although she still occasionally hopped on her bike for a ride, her pain from arthritis eventually forced her to hang up her bike helmet for good and simply live a sedentary lifestyle.Sheila admits that many years of inactivity caught up with her after a hiking trip near Seattle. She noticed a significant increase in back pain and inflammation and she knew it was more than the scoliosis she has had since she was a kid. “I could barely move, my back hurt so bad,” she says. She tried many medications, but nothing seemed to work. She quit hiking, too, and finally sought help from a doctor, who diagnosed her with ankylosing spondylitis at age 50 in 2016.
Watching Her Daughter Grow Up With JA
It wasn’t Sheila’s first encounter with arthritis. Her daughter, Kinsey, had been diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 8 in 2008. Despite Sheila’s own pain and challenges, she says watching her daughter grow up with arthritis has been the hardest.
“As a parent, it was very difficult to hear that she has arthritis,” says Sheila, now 58. “You want to do anything you can to help.” At the time, Sheila was volunteering for another organization. But after Kinsey was diagnosed, she switched gears to support the Arthritis Foundation.
Sheila and Kinsey first started volunteering for the Arthritis Foundation through their local Jingle Bell Run. After a few years, a job opened up at the Arthritis Foundation, and in 2014, Sheila joined our staff full-time. She now works as associate director for our Kansas office. “The Arthritis Foundation has been a part of our family for so long,” says Sheila, adding that it’s a natural fit for her.
Over time, Kinsey has had multiple surgeries on her knees and ankles. “It was hard for her,” says her mother. Now 24 and inspired by those who did her blood work in her own care, Kinsey works as a phlebotomist at a local community blood center. “She’s still having issues,” Sheila says. “They now think she might also have Crohn’s [disease]. It hasn’t been easy for her, but I’m proud of her.”
Kinsey has always found a way to adapt, her mother points out. In high school, not to be sidelined by her arthritis, Kinsey taught herself how to play lacrosse by watching YouTube videos and through sheer determination. She quickly found that lacrosse required a lot of running, so she learned how to play goalie for her team. “That was so great for her emotional well-being,” says Sheila.
Ready to Resume Cycling Her Way
It turns out that mom is a lot like daughter in that respect. Sheila’s own ability to adapt recently inspired her to rekindle her love of cycling to improve her own physical and emotional well-being, per her doctor’s advice.
This year for her birthday, Sheila’s boyfriend surprised her with an e-bike, which provides pedaling assistance to ease the stress on joints. “I was just in tears because I’m like, ‘Oh, this is it now. My love of cycling from my younger days!’ And just being able to get out and get some very-needed exercise has been wonderful.”
So wonderful that Sheila signed up as a Ride Your Way virtual participant for the California Coast Classic Bike Tour, one of the Arthritis Foundation’s Arthritis Cycling Experience (ACE) premier bike rides. These rides, including the in-person California Coast Classic and the Carolina Hills Classic, plus the virtual Ride Your Way option, raise awareness and vital funds for arthritis research and life-changing resources for the nearly 60 million adults and children in the U.S. who live with arthritis.
Sheila aims to ride 525 miles — the length of the California Coast Classic — and raise $525 over two months. She says that’s the beauty of the ACE Ride Your Way virtual option: It’s convenient and doable. You set your own riding schedule — you ride when, where, however far and however you want — on your local roads, a nearby park or at home on a trainer before or after work. And you set your own fundraising goal. While you may not be riding in person in California or the Carolinas, you can still connect with the large arthritis cycling community online and be part of the team.
Sheila says it’s a great way to give back and get in shape at your own pace. Her inspiration has been not only her daughter, but also wanting to improve her own fitness so she can keep up with her 2-year-old grandson.
“That’s the thing about Ride Your Way. It’s convenient. I can ride the miles here locally but still support the California Coast Classic and those who live with arthritis.”
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