Kim Lee
Polyarthritis
Adult Honoree

Kim Lee was diagnosed with polyarthritis when she was 18 years old. By this time, she was unable to straighten four of her fingers. Kim was very active and loved the outdoors, determined to not let arthritis prevent her from going on climbing trips, despite flareups that worsened in colder weather. Throughout college, Kim tried several different medications and during some more painful flareups almost quit climbing twice. But with the support of her friends, Kim continued to go outside and climb, graduating from UC Berkeley in 2017 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Then, deciding she wanted to be a teacher, she pursued a career in education. She is now in her third year teaching high school physics.

Today, Kim is still as psyched as ever about climbing and teaching physics and is determined to not let arthritis slow her down. She believes that arthritis has taught her a lot as a young adult, making her feel ready for setbacks while staying positive. She continues to try to eat healthier and make lifestyle changes that will help her continue to lead an active life.

She has felt she is not alone thanks to the Arthritis Foundation. Most importantly, she credits the endless support of her roommates and family for helping her define her life by going outdoors and working with her students, not by arthritis. 

Join Kim in the fight against arthritis, register or donate today!

Jenny Uphoff
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Adult Honoree

Jenny Uphoff was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 11 and then further diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at age 13. As a young girl, she navigated school with chronic pain, morning stiffness and mysterious flare ups. She was an avid soccer player and had to learn how to come to terms with not being able to play during her flare-ups.

Jenny had a challenging journey experimenting with different medications, enduring a lot of trial and error. But she also learned life lessons at a young age. Doctors helped her find a medication to reduce symptoms, and she also took responsibility for what was in her control, discovering that lifestyle changes had a big influence on her arthritis.

Jenny has transformed her health with a daily meditation and yoga practice, a plant-based diet, stress management, daily movement and living a life that she loves. She believes that learning how to grow her own food and getting creative in the kitchen has brought her health full-circle.

Jenny graduated from UC Berkeley in Public Health and Disability Studies. She is a certified yoga instructor, a wilderness first-responder and an avid adventurer.

As an active travel guide for Backroads, Jenny leads hiking, biking and multi-adventure trips around the world, sharing her passion for nature, the great outdoors, travel, food, biking, hiking and yoga with others. You can usually find her beaming with a big smile and pouring out her positive spirit to anyone she comes across.

Jenny loves to say yes to life. Her arthritis has been the biggest push to live BIG! She seizes opportunities to live life because she understands that not every day is guaranteed.

Her arthritis has been her greatest teacher and she hopes to share the wisdom with others. She is working to become a wellness coach in order to help people with arthritis create lifestyle changes, so they too can thrive!