This Pelotonia Rider Is Broadway Bound

Training for Pelotonia has helped Alex stay strong during his on-going battle with cancer

It began as a tickle in the back of his throat, which turned into a cough that just wouldn’t go away. Musical notes he’d reached easily in the past were suddenly hard to hit.

“My voice started feeling weird,” said Pelotonia rider Alex Kip, 23.

This was a huge deal for the Gahanna resident, whose voice was his future. It was April 2010, and Alex was a senior in the prestigious Department of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan.

Graduates are known on Broadway as the Michigan Mafia and “there’s not a show on Broadway that doesn’t have at least one Michigan person,” Alex said. His plan was to head to Broadway after he graduated and join the mafia and audition his way onto a show.

So this tickle and cough were a huge – and very frustrating – deal.

“Then I started wheezing and finally I had chest X-rays taken,” Alex said. “They found a large mass pushing against and paralyzing one of my vocal chords.”

The mass was cancerous; Alex had non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The past year has been filled with ups and downs, chemo treatments, the support of family and friends … and a lot of determination and optimism. His bout with cancer has also changed Alex’s perspective on life. Before cancer, all he thought and dreamed about was singing on Broadway.

“Singing was always such an important part of my identity, but this has changed my perspective on life; I feel so much more alive,” he said. “And it has maybe shifted my career aspirations and will ultimately lead me to where I’m supposed to be. Now, I’m passionate about giving back to the community and trying to meet with people, especially (children and teens) who are going through this and helping them cope with it.”

Alex met up and rode with Kate during Pelotonia

Alex’s chemo treatments started immediately, the first two in Ann Arbor, then at The James after he graduated and returned home. While his Michigan friends were in Manhattan, auditioning for shows, Alex was at The James, with powerful drugs dripping from an IV into his arm and bloodstream.

“For three days after, I’d feel sick and vomit and then I’d feel totally fine and be back in the gym and on my bike,” he said. Then it was time for the weekly round of chemo, and another three days of feeling sick.”

The plan was to follow Alex’s chemo treatments with radiation … and then a stem-cell transplant. However, tests indicated his cancerous mass had shrunk substantially, but “my cancer output was still a little high, there were still cancerous cells,” he said.

His doctors opted for another round of chemo, which Alex is currently in the midst of. This will be followed by radiation and then the transplant.

Keeping his body strong has been a key component of Alex’s battle – and training for Pelotonia was a big part of this.

Here's Alex and his friend Erin

“In my mind this is the most important thing you can do for yourself, physically and mentally,” he said. “If I can ride my bike for 20 or 30 miles or go into the gym and lift weights for an hour, this tells me I’m doing all right. In my mind, when I do this, it’s my way of saying ‘screw you cancer.’”

The Friday night before Pelotonia was his 23^rd birthday and the opening ceremonies were a birthday party for Alex and his big team of supporters, including his parents, Cindy and Nick, and sister Liz, a student at the University of Kentucky.

“It was amazing to see all these people come together, 4,000 people,” Alex said. “And you could tell it was so personal for everyone.”

Alex started off riding with his friend and training partner Erin Scott, and also rode with with Kate Harlow.

“We had met during a training ride, but hadn’t seen each other since,” Alex said of his mid-ride encounter with Kate. “We started talking and rode together.”

The two are now dating.

Alex still hopes to be Broadway bound when his treatments are over … and when he gets there he will be stronger and more determined than ever, but with a new perspective on his career and future and a desire to give back to others.

Here are a few of the members of Alex's support crew, for Pelotonia and his battle with cancer

“The support from my family and friends has been amazing and this has definitely been a spiritual journey,” he said. “I’ve had to really confront it and be open with people about what’s going on in my life and people have opened up to me, and to receive that love back has been special.

“I want to change people’s perception of cancer. It’s not a life sentence. It’s hard to get through, but there’s a lot to be learned from this.”

An Amazing Act of Generosity

It seemed like way too many zeros, a total of four, and Riley Adams kept staring at the e-mail he had just received from Pelotonia, reading it over and over.

“I thought it was a mistake, that I’d get an e-mail or a call saying it was a mistake,” said Riley, 16.

It wasn’t, and the $10,000 donation from a complete stranger was for real … and another example of the generosity of the members of the Pelotonia community and the Limited Brands connection that has become part of the fabric of our ride.

Here's Michael (L) and Riley during Pelotonia

The money came from Michael Leedy, 41, a former Limited Brands employee, now living on Sanibel Island off the coast of Florida. One of his best friends is current Limited Brands employee Scott Razek, who also happens to be one of Pelotonia’s biggest boosters.

“Scott is the one who inspired me to ride,” said Michael, who hadn’t ridden a bike in years.

Michael – a consultant in the retail industry – decided to set his sights high and ride 180 miles and raise a minimum of $10,000. He promised his donors that if he reached this magic number, he’d dig down deep into his own pocket and donate a matching $10,000 to Pelotonia.

Michael said he wouldn't have made the 180 miles without the help of his buddies: (L to R) Robert Collier, Ray Whitney, Scott Razek, Michael and Sloan Spalding

“I’m a marketing guy and I decided that before I asked people for money, I had to let them know how deep my own commitment was,” he said.

Michael topped his fund-raising goal in June. Now it was time to decide how – or maybe who – to donate the $10,000.

“I found the stories about the Pelotonia riders I read inspiring,” Michael said.

One in particular made an impression: the story of Riley, whose 8-year-old sister, Eden, died on Dec. 28, 2008.

“Every time I went on a training ride I thought of Riley and his sister,” Michael said.

And so, he decided to donate $10,000 to Riley’s Pelotonia account.

After they received the generous donation, Riley and his father, Rourke, contacted Michael, to thank him. They have stayed in touch and finally met on the Friday of registration/opening ceremonies.

This is the jersey, honoring Eden, that members of Team Riley wore during Pelotonia

“It was extremely emotional to meet them in person and hear Riley’s story in his own words,” Michael said. “They’re such nice people and a remarkable family.”

Riley decided to share the wealth and created the Team Riley peloton, which included six members. They all wore a jersey with Eden’s photo on it.

One of the members of Riley’s team is Rich Lewis, who is also a Limited Brands employee, he’s a corporate pilot – and a friend of Scott Razek. Rich, an incredibly strong/fast rider and a part-time racer, has become Riley’s cycling mentor/coach and the two often go on hammer-time rides. I recently rode with them, 47 miles from New Albany to Granville and back, and struggled to stay with Rich and Riley on the flats as we raced along at 20 MPH, and quickly got dropped when they flew up the hills without slowing down.

Here's Riley (L) and Michael after a recent - and cold! - training ride

Michael trained on the paradise-like island on which he lives, meeting some fellow riders along the way whom he has become friends with.

“It’s good riding territory, but flat,” he said of Sanibel Island, adding he was determined to get in shape for the Hocking Hills and stay with Scott and his crew of riders. It took some creativity, but Michael found a way to get in some hill training on a flat island.

“The only hill is the bridge that leads connects the island to the mainland,” he said of the arched bridge. “I got information on how high the bridge was and divided that into the total climb of Pelotonia.”

This, according to his calculations, meant 36 rounds trips over the bridge, which Michael did several times. With all these bridge climbs in his tank, Michael sailed up all the hills during Pelotonia.

Pelotonia was a wonderful experience, Michael said, the opportunity to reconnect with several of his Limited Brands friends – and make some new friends along the way and be part of something special.

Michael is now hooked on cycling and Pelotonia and promises to be back this year.

Here are some of the members of Michael's support crew during Pelotonia

“I haven’t decided if my goal will be to raise $10,000 or if it will be higher,” he said. “But I’m also going to get other people from here (on Sanibel Island) involved. I’ve got a group of guys I ride with and I’m going to get them up to Columbus.”

Michael is married and he and his wife, Peggy, have two daughters, Keally, 18, and Mackenzie, 13. Peggy and Mackenzie are thinking about riding in Pelotonia this year, as part of the Sanibel Island crew.

10 things about Michael…

Favorite ride

From the Sanibel Lighthouse to Captiva and back

Dream ride

Southern France

Current Pelotonia bike

Specialized Roubaix

Dream bike

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL3

Favorite movie

Cinema Paradiso

Favorite band/singer

U2

Favorite TV show

Monday Night Football

Favorite book

2666, by Roberto Bolano

Favorite athlete

Wes Welker

Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Pelotonia Yard Sign

There seems to be a bumper crop of Pelotonia lawn signs sprouting up in Central Ohio this year.

“I saw them last year and thought they’re a great way of advertising this brand-new event,” said Mark Shannon.

A man, his dog - and Pelotonia yard sign

This year Mark planted one in his front lawn – and decorated it with yellow ribbons. On each ribbon is the name of someone with a cancer connection.

“They’re names of family members, colleagues at work, the loved ones of my work colleagues and friends,” Mark said. “One name is a friend’s cousin who passed away just two weeks ago and another is a colleague who had colon cancer and was cleared last year and now it’s come back. It’s just everybody – you can’t throw a stick without hitting someone who has suffered from cancer or has been a person on the front lines sitting there while a loved one went through chemo.”

Mark and his wife, Kristy, are teachers in the Worthington school district.

There are about 35 ribbons on Mark’s sign – and he plans to transfer them onto his bike for Saturday’s ride to Athens. Not the actual ribbons, just the names.

Here's Mark at the start of last year's ride ...

“My bike is black, but it may be a different color,” said Mark, who plans to write the names on tape and then stick the tape on the frame of his bike. The names will provide him with inspiration when the going gets tough.

“Whenever people see (the lawn sign) and ask me about Pelotonia, they’re always curious about how tough the hills are,” he said of the Hocking Hills portion of the ride. “But the hills pale in comparison to chemo therapy; the hills aren’t a challenge compared to this, they’re just a little bump in the road. And when I’m gasping for air on the hills, I look at the names and know why I’m doing this.”

10 things about Mark…

Favorite ride

Out to Prospect, Ohio

Dream ride

Highway 101 in Oregon

And at the finish in Athens with friends Linda and Dave Lutz (L) and his wife, Kristy

Current Pelotonia bike

LeMond Versailles

Dream bike

Trek Project 1

Favorite movie

Raising Arizona

Favorite band/singer

Dave Mathhews

Favorite TV show

Big Bang Theory

Favorite book

The Killer Angels

Favorite athlete

Any domestique on any professional cycling team

Favorite post-ride meal

My wife’s fish tacos

Pelotonia is Now Personal For This Rider

Tom Pelto was intrigued by the challenge of riding his first century (100 miles) – and decided to sign up for the inaugural Pelotonia.

“I’m an avid cyclist,” said the president of AT&T Ohio. “For the last five years I’ve been on a program and ride 100 miles a week … and thought Pelotonia was a good chance to get out of my comfort zone.”

This year, Tom said, Pelotonia “is personal.”

Tom was diagnosed with cancer on July 23

On July 23, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma – and was told he needed chemotherapy and radiation, the normal protocol for this very treatable form of cancer.

“There was a little bit of a debate about when I would start my treatment,” Tom said, adding it will be August 27 – after he rides the 102-mile route in Pelotonia. “I didn’t want to start chemo and then have to ride 100 miles, that would be tough. But if my doctor would have said delaying the start would have had any affect on my chances at all, I would have said ‘we need to start right now.’”

Tom’s personal connection to Pelotonia actually began during the 2009 ride. It started as a challenge to ride 100 miles for the first time and raise money for a good cause, which he did. By the time he got to Athens, it had become something much more important. This, BTW, happened to a lot of riders, maybe even you.

“I was so amazed by all the volunteers and people out there on the streets and on their front porches, and the signs,” he said, adding he very much remembers the impromptu rest stop a few local residents set up at the top of one of the Hocking Hills climbs. “I’m no Lance Armstrong and it was impressive to me that even as the later riders rode through, how enthusiastic the support was – and I was amazed at how first-class the whole operation was.”

Tom said his attitude is one of determination and optimism as he begins his battle against cancer. He has been inspired by the survivors he has met and talked with, including Pelotonia Executive Director Tom Lennox.

“We were both in shock at first,” he said of the reaction he and his wife, Maria Arias, when they were told the news. “But this is very treatable.”

Tom intends to maintain a positive attitude – and continue to cycle. The overall conditioning and strength from all this exercise will help him stay strong – and relieve some of the stress that comes from his hectic job and the chemo and radiation treatments.

Tom has been with AT&T for 20 years, and moved to Central Ohio and his current position in July 2008.

“Before that I’d never stepped foot in Ohio,” he said, adding he did once drive across the Buckeye state. Cycling – and last year’s Pelotonia ride – have helped him discover the beauty of the area.

Maria is an executive at Comcast and lives in Colorado Springs. And yes, Tom said, their commuter marriage has been tough the past two years.

AT&T Ohio will have a peloton comprised of what Tom calls “a small, gritty band of 11 riders.”

In 2011, he promises a bigger AT&T presence.

“I see this as the second of many Pelotonia rides for me,” he said of Saturday’s big event. “And I see myself riding in the future as a survivor.”

10 things about Tom…

Favorite ride

Pelotonia

Dream ride

The Rocky Mountains

Current Pelotonia bike

Orbea Orca

Dream bike

What I have now

Favorite movie

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Favorite band/singer

The Rolling Stones

Favorite TV show

Entourage

Favorite book

Finca Vigia, the complete short stories of Hemingway

Favorite athlete

Arnold Palmer

Favorite post-ride meal

A burger and a beer

A Special Delivery For Pelotonia

Lindsey Gale will carry a photo of Nathan Smith with her during Pelotonia.

Lindsey never met this brave, young man, who lost his battle with cancer in 2004 at the age of 17. Nor has she met his mother, Mary, who took up a collection among her fellow postal workers and recently donated $141 to Lindsey’s Pelotonia fund-raising efforts.

Lindsey received an unexpected donation to her Pelotonia fundraising efforts

Lindsey, Nathan and Mary are now all connected – and part of the ever-growing Pelotonia community and our fight to cure cancer.

This story begins with a Pelotonia yard sign in the Marion, Ohio yard of Allen and Sharon Gale, who are Lindsey’s parents.

This house is on Mary’s mail route and every day she walked by the sign – and every day she thought of Nathan.

Nathan was first diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 1 – and spent the next few years going through grueling treatments. He was in remission for more than a decade – and then his cancer cruelly returned when he was 14.

“When I saw the sign I knew I had to do something,” Mary said. “The people I work with are amazing and I stood up and gave my spiel and told them all the money goes to cancer research and we’re not going to stop this disease without research and I passed around the envelope and they gave.”

Mary knocked on the Gale’s door a few days later to deliver the money.

“I called to thank her and she is this delightful woman,” Lindsey said. “And she kept saying that I shouldn’t be thanking her, that she wanted to thank me for riding … and then she told me she had lost a son to cancer. I was humbled by this.”

Nathan was an inspiration to his mom and family - and now to Lindsey and the entire Pelotonia family

Mary and her coworkers are also putting together an envelope of photos and mementos of the loved ones they know who are battling or have battled cancer. Lindsey will carry this with her – and honor all these amazing people she has never met.

Lindsey was new to cycling when she rode Pelotonia last year.

“I was so enthused about the event last year,” she said. “My mom is a breast cancer survivor and I have several friends and family who have battled cancer and it’s such a great concept. I went out and bought a bike and trained and it was an amazing experience.”

Lindsey is no stranger to fund raising – and works in this area for the OSU Medical Center.

“There are so many good people in the world,” she said. “And this reaffirms that and is a testament to the concept of grassroots fund raising. You never know what will inspire someone.”

In Mary’s case, it was the sign.

“I saw it and thought, growing up you only knew someone who was a friend of a friend who had cancer and now it’s your spouse or your grandparents or, God forbid, your child. It’s enough, it’s time to end this.”

And research is the way to accomplish this.

“My dream is to one day drive by The James and see a ‘For Sale’ sign up because they cured cancer and have gone out of business,” Mary said.

10 things about Lindsey…

Favorite ride

Pelotonia

Dream ride

Italy

Current Pelotonia bike

Fuji 3.0

Dream bike

I’m not sure yet

Favorite movie

Pretty Woman

Favorite band/singer

Billy Joel

Favorite TV show

Gray’s Anatomy

Favorite book

Eat, Pray, Love

Favorite athlete

Rick Nash

Favorite post-ride meal

A giant Chipotle burrito, chips and guacamole

From Sea To Shining Sea

He made it!

Pelotonia rider Chris Timko has completed his cross-country journey – and is back home in Central Ohio in time for Pelotonia. I have a feeling the 180 miles to Athens and back won’t be much of a challenge for him after his 3,000-mile trek.

Here’s what Chris had to say about the last leg of his trip:

“The American Challenge was awesome, brutal, and enriching all at the same time.

“From the rolling hills of Georgia to the deserts of California, we learned so much about our country, our homes (ironically enough) and ourselves. The trip was a roller coaster. We had some of the best days of our lives only to have them turn into miserable grinds in freezing cold rain just 10 hours later. This was the beauty of the American Challenge. We didn’t know what to expect right around the corner so we lived in the moment and kept in mind that a new day was just around the corner and full of surprises.

This looks Grand

“The trip concluded a week ago, wrapping up the toughest week of the trip. We began the week by departing the Grand Canyon in weather that was rainy and 50s. Two days later we found ourselves in 120-degree heat in the Mojave Desert.

“After a few days there, we spent two days in the San Bernardino Mountains navigating detours, pushing major winds, and scaling large climbs. We spent the last day descending from 8,000 feet down to sea level and into Santa Monica, California. We rode down onto the pier and celebrated by launching ourselves, front wheels first, into the water.

“It took a few minutes for reality to hit us. We had just conquered a continent by bicycle. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

One last thing, Chris, before our ride next week, please, please, please have your mom wash out the Pelotonia jersey you wore on your trip!

Thinking About His Hero and Three Miracles

A lot of thoughts will be racing through Aaron Shank’s mind as he rides from Columbus to Athens next Saturday during Pelotonia.

He’ll think back to the time, 14 years ago, when his wife, Roshini, was diagnosed with acute promylecytic leukemia – a cancer of the bone marrow. Aaron and Roshini were in their mid-20s – and really scared.

Roshini has now been in remission for 14 years.

Here's Roshini, Aaron and the kids...

Aaron will also think about his three miracles: Renuka, 11, Rasili, 7, and Ranjini, 5.

“We didn’t know if it was going to be possible for her to have children,” Aaron said, adding he may also ponder why his wife picked three names that start with R. “I don;t know why – but her license plate is also Rs.”

And when Aaron and the Pelotonia caravan passes by The James, he will remember all the great care the staff gave Roshini – and his mother in law, who is also a cancer survivor and former patient at the world-renowned cancer hospital.

“We’ve been touched by too much cancer,” said Aaron, who added that two close friends lost their battle within a short period of time about two years ago. One after a 10-year fight, the second after only a month.

“Pelotonia was an obvious thing for me to do,” Aaron said. “It was a great way to get back into biking and raise money for the James.”

Aaron is a lawyer at Porter Wright, a Columbus firm, and will be part of the firm’s peloton, which includes about 35 riders.

“It’s a great group,” Aaron said, adding some members are experienced riders who helped teach him the ropes when he first got back into cycling before last year’s Pelotonia. “This is a fantastic story for Columbus, how we got organized and are really working to do something amazing.”

The Porter Wright peloton got to meet with Lance last year; that's Aaron and Renuka all the way over on the left.

Aaron grew up in Rochester, New York – and met Roshini at Wittenberg University. He then attended law school at Ohio State.

Roshini has worked for many years in the area of cancer research, at Ohio State and with private companies. Her bout with cancer is what guided her into this area, said Aaron, who calls his wife a hero.

At the first Pelotonia, Aaron signed up for the 43-mile ride to Amanda. He and his hybrid made it and he felt so good he went another three miles and then back to Amanda, in order to complete his first 50-mile ride.

This year he’s doing the 102-mile route to Athens – and it will be his first century.

“I’m up to 70 miles,” he said of his training. “I think I can do another 30 and I’ll hit the hills near Amanda to get some hill training, which is a necessary evil.”

It’s probably a god thing Aaron is going the distance this year, as he’ll have a lot to think about: his wonderful family and friends, and all the lessons cancer has taught him.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” Aaron said. “Especially when I’m riding, I think about how life is precious and temporary and you have to get everything you can out of it. And not everyone gets this opportunity because of cancer.”

10 things about Aaron

Favorite ride

Pelotonia

Dream ride

The Alps

Current Pelotonia bike

Jamus Quest

Dream bike

An all-carbon bike

Favorite movie

Star Wars

Favorite band/singer

The Airborne Toxic Event

Favorite TV show

Saturday Night Live

Favorite book

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Favorite athlete

Jim Kelly

Favorite post-ride meal

Biryana – an Indian rice dish

Roland Along For Pelotonia

Roland Kreml was new to cycling a year ago – and like everyone else, was new to Pelotonia when he arrived for the Friday-night registration/opening ceremonies at the inaugural ride.

The first Pelotonia ride had a big impact on Roland

He was with a friend, who took him over to the survivor’s tent – and introduced him to an elderly woman, who was a cancer survivor.

“When we were leaving she shook my hand and asked if I was riding,” Roland said. “I told her I was and she looked me I the eyes and said ‘thank you.’ That changed what this was all about for me. She had understood what it was really all about and now I did.”

Roland is the captain of Team O-H-I-O, which includes about 35 Ohio State staffers who know what Pelotonia is all about and want to be part of something special.

“We’re also riding for a woman who worked in the office,” said Roland, who is the IT director for university development. “She died (about two weeks ago) and was very special to all of us in the department. She was a great person, she always had a smile for everyone.”

Riding isn’t something Roland did much of until last year when he started training for Pelotonia.

Like so many others, he had put away his bike after high school or college – and forgot all about the joys and stress-relieving magic of riding. Pelotonia has helped rekindle this love affair for Roland and so many others.

Here's Roland and some friends at the innaugural Pelotonia ride

“It has changed my life,” said Roland, who has lost about 20 pounds over the past year and is in great shape. “I enjoy it because, at work, we have all these on-going, big projects that take a long time to complete. With riding you start in the morning and after a certain amount of miles, you’re done. It’s fun and a challenge and helps clear your head.”

As he’s gotten more experienced, Roland has learned all about the social and communal aspects of cycling.

“The biker’s code is if you see someone with a problem, you help out,” he said.

This recently happened to Roland after he blew a tire – and was struggling with the new-fangled CO2 cartridge/pump he had just bought.

“A group of riders came by and stopped and asked if I needed any help,” said Roland, who did need help – and got it from a few members of the biking community.

Roland and his wife, Tonya, have two children, Tara, 11, and Wayne, 9, who is already starting to get the bike bug according to his proud father.

This year Roland plans to ride the 102-mile route to Athens during Pelotonia – and it will be his first-ever century ride.

It sounds like he’s ready.

He’s done a few metric centuries – 100 kilometers, or 62 miles – and has been experimenting with what and how much to eat and drink.

Look for this logo on the jerseys of the TEAM O-H-I-O peloton

As much as he’s excited to conquer his first 100-mile ride, Roland knows the physical challenge and sense of accomplishment for a ride well done are only part of the Pelotonia equation.

All he has to do is think back to the woman he met at last year’s ride and the coworker who recently lost her cancer battle. And then there’s the TEAM O-H-I-O jersey.

“It has a Block O on the back,” Roland said. “And what makes up the Block O are all the names of the people we’re riding for … and it’s very special to us. And the scary thing is the more we talk to people about Pelotonia, the more you find out how many people have been affected by cancer. It’s everywhere and too many people are suffering.”

10 things about Roland…

Favorite ride

Pelotonia

Dream ride

Austria

Current Pelotonia bike

Fuji Delrey

Dream bike

Not sure yet

Favorite movie

Aliens

Favorite band/singer

Sting

Favorite TV show

Leverage

Favorite book

The Cuckoo’s Egg

Favorite athlete

Chris Spielman

Favorite post-ride meal

Steak, mashed potatoes and a Guinness

When A Cancer Doctor Becomes A Cancer Patient

Doreen Agnese was scared and feeling very vulnerable as she was wheeled into surgery at the Ohio State Medical Center.

“I’m used to walking in there in my scrubs, not on a stretcher,” said Doreen, who is a surgeon specializing in breast cancer and melanomas and is also a geneticist at the medical center. This time, she was on the other end of the operating table, starring up at the surgeon, William Farrar.

“I felt very vulnerable,” she said of her thyroid-cancer surgery. “I’m used to being in charge and giving the orders.”

Doreen’s surgery was in January. She’s now in remission, feeling stronger and believes the experience has made her a better doctor for her patients – and helped her realize life is precious and she needs to take better care of herself.

Which is one of the many reasons Doreen will be riding in Pelotonia this year.

“I’ve never been the most fit person,” said Doreen, who like most of the cancer doctors at Ohio State spends way too many hours on the job. “And my family has a history of heart disease and being overweight.”

She was a volunteer at Pelotonia 209 – and was so inspired she started riding in the spring with the goal of riding in Pelotonia 2010.

“I signed up for the 23-mile Pelotonia ride and at first I thought, ‘I’m so out of shape, I can’t do this.’ But as I started training, I increased my distance and the first time I rode 20 miles I thought, ‘This isn’t so bad.’”

Instead of riding 23 miles, she’ll do the 43-mile ride to Amanda.

“I love riding,” Doreen said. “You’re out in the fresh air and it clears your head. It’s therapeutic, especially after a bad day.”

For Doreen, a bad day can be really bad – and hard to get past.

“I may have to tell someone they have cancer … or one of my patients has lost their battle,” she said. “But there are also a lot of good days. I was just at the wedding of one of my patients. I’ve been taking care of her for 15 years and she’s doing great and got married. That was a very good day.”

Cycling has helped Doreen achieve more balance in her life

Doreen got the “the call” on Dec. 9.

“They told me I had thyroid cancer,” she said of the life-changing moment. A lot of things went through her mind, including all the possible outcomes, which she knew all too well as a cancer surgeon – and also the fact that she was in the right hospital.

“I was so lucky that my boss, William Farrar, is one of the best thyroid surgeons around,” Doreen said.

There’s a strong bond between a cancer patient and their surgeon, Doreen said, adding she always understood this, but can now better empathize with her patients.

Here's Doreen and her surgeon - William Farrar, who will also be riding in Pelotonia

“The surgeon takes care of you when you are completely vulnerable and they look to you for advice on everything,” she said. “Now, I want to help my patients even more. Being a survivor I now know what they’re going through.”

The tough thing for Doreen is finding the balance between taking care of her patients – and taking care of herself. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do both – and her inclination has always been to put her patients first.

“When you get a cancer diagnosis, you realize this is something that could kill me and it does change you,” she said. “I have to try and take some time for myself and take better care of myself.”

In her next sentence, Doreen gets back to talking about her patients, so it seems balance is easier said than done.

But training for Pelotonia has helped point her in the right direction.

“I’m just one of the many people riding in Pelotonia who have been touched by this,” Doreen said. “I’m riding for those who can’t ride for themselves, including the people who have lost their fight. Unfortunately, there are too many of them.”

10 things about  Doreen…

Favorite ride

Along the Olentangey Trail

Dream ride

Pacific Coast Highway

Current Pelotonia bike

Elektra Ticino

Dream bike

I’m open to suggestions

Favorite movie

The Princess Bride

Favorite band/singer

The Killers

Favorite TV show

Glee

Favorite book

The Lovely Bones

Favorite athlete

Rick Nash

Favorite post-ride meal

Anything followed by Jeni’s ice cream

Gray’s Anatomy of a Gene

One of the goals of the Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellowships is to steer, push and prod the best and brightest scientific minds toward cancer research.

It didn’t take much pushing and prodding in the case of Kelsey Gray, an OSU undergraduate – and one of the Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellowship recipients. Kelsey is already well on her way toward emulating the cancer-fighting career of her mentor, Amanda Toland, a professor in the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology & Medical Genetics.

“Yes, I definitely hope to contribute in this area,” Kelsey said. “We have all this knowledge, but we still have so much more to learn.”

Kelsey’s Pelotonia project will help expand this knowledge. It is titled Role of DCPS in Squamous Cell Carcinoma. What this means is, she will look at one specific gene – the DCPS gene – and try and determine if the presence of this gene is a skin-cancer deterrent.

“If I’m able to establish this gene does play a role. That would lead to further studies of the gene,” Kelsey said.

Science was always a priority for Kelsey, who grew up in Canton.

“My mom is a nurse and my dad is a freshwater biologist, so I’ve been around it and in high school I realized I really liked it, especially genetics.”

Kelsey spends a lot of time in the lab

When it came time to select a college, OSU had exactly what Kelsey was looking for in its biomedical science medical major. Once she arrived at OSU, Kelsey began working for Amanda Toland, whose specialty is “identifying combinations of susceptibility genes that work together to influence an individual’s risk of developing cancer,” according to her bio.

This is exactly what Kelsey’s Pelotonia project hopes to accomplish – and what she does when she works in Amanda’s lab.

“She is very good at explaining things and very willing to take the time that’s necessary to make sure I understand what I’m doing and help me see the big picture,” Kelsey said of her mentor. “She spends so much time in the lab – and is always available.”

Kelsey is considering a combined medical and PhD program that would enable her to continue to be a research scientist – and treat patients.

“That would allow me to do the research and also see patients who are connected to that research,” she said, adding that while skin-cancer research is her specialty right now, “my mind is open to all the options of cancer research.”

Kelsey found out she was one of the recipients of the $12,000 Pelotonia fellowships in the middle of a lab, which meant she couldn’t exactly jump up and down and celebrate.

“I turned to the rest of the people in my lab an said, ‘would you like to hear some good news?’ And I told them.”

Kelsey said several other students from her major – biomedical science – and related majors, were also awarded fellowships.

“I know some of the others were already involved in cancer research, ”Kelsey said. “But I know some of the others weren’t and this has encouraged them to get into it and that’s definitely good because we need to get everyone together for this cause and work it together.”

10 things about Kelsey …

Favorite ride

A 27-mile ride during gym class

Dream ride

England

Current Pelotonia bike

A mountain bike

Dream bike

I don’t know

Favorite movie

Elizabethtown

Favorite band/singer

The Fray

Favorite TV show

Friends

Favorite book

The Fountainhead

Favorite athlete

I don’t have one

Favorite post-ride meal

A steak