Welcome Back, Charlotte!

Some staff introductions are a little easier than others.

In Charlotte Austin’s case, there’s a good chance plenty of Bike the US for MS alumni already know exactly who we’re talking about.

Over the last two summers, Charlotte has spent a lot of time in our support vans. She joined the Northern Tier team for five weeks in 2025 before returning to route lead the entire TransAmerica in 2026, collecting more than a few stories – and quite a few cycling miles of her own – along the way.

But Charlotte’s story with us actually started on the other side of the Atlantic.

Having recently graduated from Loughborough University, we’re very excited to welcome Charlotte back to the organization, this time as our full-time Program Coordinator for Bike the UK for MS.

She’ll be physically based in the UK and working across both Bike the UK for MS and Bike the US for MS, helping us continue to share ideas, experience and best practices between the two organizations.

For riders who know Charlotte as one of the calm, seemingly unflappable members of a Route Leader team, that probably makes plenty of sense. Behind the scenes, we also know her as someone who is driven, detail-oriented, incredibly dependable and genuinely passionate about the mission and the journey these organizations are on.

It All Started With a University Placement

Charlotte first discovered Bike the UK for MS in 2024 while looking for a university placement. There was one slight catch. She wasn’t really a cyclist.

“I wasn’t a cyclist or multi-day event enthusiast, but I loved the idea of being able to experience these events and make life a little bit easier for those willing to challenge themselves for a good cause.”

That lack of cycling experience didn’t stop us from immediately throwing her into the deep end.

One of Charlotte’s first experiences was route leading the North Coast 500 around the Scottish Highlands. She vividly remembers one day around Bealach na Bà, the biggest climb of the trip. After several days of sunshine, the Scottish weather finally arrived in force.

The planned rest stop at the top quickly became a considerably more sheltered stop further down the descent, with the support van positioned as a windbreak while the Route Leaders made hot chocolate, coffee and tea for soaked riders.

It could have been one of the worst days of the trip. Instead, it became one everyone still remembers.

“That’s an experience you can’t have without the support vans and your fellow cycling teammates.”

Those early trips also introduced Charlotte to the part of our organizations that ultimately kept drawing her back. The people.

“What separated Bike the UK for MS from other organizations was being able to meet the people you were helping during the cycling journey. Nothing could really prepare me for the impact that created, or the number of people you meet who have some connection to MS.”

Crossing the Atlantic

Charlotte completed her placement in June 2025, but apparently nobody told her she was supposed to leave. A matter of weeks later, she crossed the Atlantic to join the Bike the US for MS Northern Tier team between Minneapolis and Seattle.

And after spending a year helping other people ride bikes, she was eventually convinced to try it herself. The team selected what experienced riders described as a “short” day into Whitefish.

It was 33 miles. Charlotte had a slightly different definition of short.

“I had a great day, even when the rain started pouring. Having the company of the other riders and knowing there was a mechanic there if I needed help meant all I really had to do was pedal and enjoy the scenery. And that I did!”

Somewhere along the way, things escalated. Before Charlotte had even started her final year at university, she had already agreed to come back and route lead the entire TransAmerica in 2026. This time, she was bringing a bike.

Her second summer in the U.S. included century rides across Kansas, riding in the Colorado mountains and plenty more time supporting riders through the everyday highs and lows of a cross-country cycling trip.

For someone who arrived at Bike the UK for MS without even owning a bike, it has been quite a progression. And it has given her a perspective that we think will be incredibly valuable when she talks to future riders.

“What helped me feel comfortable cycling was realizing that you don’t need the best gear and you don’t have to be an avid cyclist. Over all the trips I’ve been on, so many people have proved that to me.”

Why She Keeps Coming Back

It would be easy to assume Charlotte keeps returning because we’ve slowly converted her into a cyclist. We’ll happily take some credit for that.

But ask her what she values most and the answer is much simpler.

“My favorite aspect of being involved is the friends you make and stay in touch with. It’s amazing to see such a varied group of people come together with the same goal and then stay in touch for years afterwards.”

It’s something that becomes very obvious within the Bike the US for MS alumni community. Different year. Different route. Different part of the country.

Yet it often takes only a few minutes before people are comparing support van stories, overnight hosts, weather disasters, memorable climbs and everything else that comes with spending weeks crossing the country together.

Charlotte has also spent a lot of those miles meeting people living with MS, visiting MS organizations, talking with our overnight hosts and answering questions from members of the public who stop at rest stops to find out what all those cyclists are doing.

Although she doesn’t have an immediate family connection to MS, those experiences have created a strong personal connection to the cause. As she puts it, it’s surprising how often someone walking past a rest stop will stop and tell you about a family member, friend or colleague living with MS.

Taking the Road Experience Behind the Scenes

After completing the TransAmerica this summer, Charlotte headed back to the UK and almost immediately found herself supporting another ride. This time the four-day, off-road Royal Chilterns Way.

Now, having graduated from Loughborough, she is officially back with us.

As Programme Coordinator, Charlotte will be involved in trip planning and delivery, communicating with future riders, helping people through the pre-trip preparation process and using everything she has recently experienced as a Route Leader to help us continue improving our programs.

She’ll also form another link between the U.S. and UK organizations.

There are plenty of differences between riding across the United States and spending a week cycling around Scotland or Wales, but there is also a huge amount we can learn from one another. Charlotte now has unusually extensive firsthand experience of both.

“I’m so excited to be returning in the Programme Coordinator role. I hope to share my recent experiences as a Route Leader and my knowledge of the trips, routes, accommodations and cyclist experience, while helping future cyclists with any questions before signing up and throughout their preparation.”

For some Bike the US for MS alumni, Charlotte will always be the person sitting behind the wheel of a support van somewhere in the depths of Eastern Montana. For others, she’s the Route Leader who somehow found herself riding centuries in Kansas or climbing through Colorado alongside them.

And for future riders, she may be one of the first people they hear from when they start thinking about their own Bike the US for MS adventure.

We’re incredibly excited about everything Charlotte brings to the team. Both from her time behind the scenes and everything she has experienced out on the road.

Welcome back, Charlotte.