Hope Abounds at Pelotonia

Columbus, OH – With college football season well underway, the streets of Columbus have once again turned their autumnal colors, scarlet and gray. But for a brief moment in August, those same streets were tinged green by the participants of the inaugural Pelotonia bike tour. The grass roots bike tour, which was headlined by seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong’s participation, was started by Thomas Lennox, Executive Director of Pelotonia, with one goal in mind, to end cancer.

“It is almost certain, that in one way or another, each of us will be affected by cancer in our lifetime,” said Lennox, a cancer survivor himself. “Pelotonia gives all of us the opportunity to pitch in and work together to put an end to cancer.”

Over 2,200 cyclists answered the call and pitched in by raising the minimum of $1,000 in donations for the single-day 25 or 50-mile routes, $1,500 for the 100-mile route, and $2,000 for the two-day 180-mile route.  And as a result of an extraordinarily generous gift from NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company that manages over 800 aircraft worldwide, one hundred percent of every dollar raised by each participant was directed to cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, or simply The James.

The James, the Midwest’s first and Ohio's only freestanding cancer hospital and research institute, is one of only 40 centers in the United States designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. As such, it has enjoyed an ongoing partnership with Lance Armstrong and his LIVESTRONG Foundation.

“We were one of the cities selected last year for Lance’s national tour on LIVESTRONG Day, and we hosted the LIVESTRONG Summit last July. We’re one of eight cancer centers in the nation to be part of the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence Network. His participation in Pelotonia 09 is yet another example of his commitment and partnership with Ohio State. We are delighted that he has chosen to participate in this event and help promote groundbreaking research in our cancer program,” stated Dr. Michael Caligiuri, Director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Chief Executive Officer of The James.

The event kicked off with a pre-tour dinner and expo that was held in conjunction with The James’ 21st Cancer Survivor’s Day. Speakers included Thomas Lennox, Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ohio’s Governor, Ted Strickland, The Ohio State University President, Dr. Gordon Gee, and Lance Armstrong. The opening night’s festivities were topped off by a pre-tour concert by Grammy Award winner Michelle Branch, which unfortunately was shortened due to inclement weather.

Having participated in similar fundraising or charity bike tours, and having covered Armstrong at races, I thought I had a good sense of what Pelotonia would be about. But this was one time where my expectations went mostly, if not completely, unfounded.

At most events in which Lance Armstrong participates, he is undoubtedly the main attraction where you are apt to find as many Lance fans as cycling fans, and more Lance Armstrong clones, replete with black and yellow Mellow Johnny’s or LIVESTRONG jerseys and Oakley Jawbones than you could find Jim Rome clones in his own jungle. And while there were your fair share of Lance fans at Pelotonia, the remainder were not star struck by his appearance or even his participation. Those who gathered to hear him speak or joined him on the tour’s start line the next day already knew him on a more intimate level, as one of their own, a cancer survivor.

And like the champion of their cause, most had their own remarkable survivor story.

Vicki Chorman - Although not a cancer survivor herself, Vicki is well aware of the insidiousness of the disease.  She would raise over $4,000 in donations on behalf of her late father, Carl, who succumbed to cancer, and her cousin Rona, who battled breast cancer and is currently battling ovarian cancer, among others, and received a Lance Armstrong signed Pelotonia jersey for her prodigious fund raising.

Larry Levinson - The 41-year-old was diagnosed with Stage 1 colon cancer in 2005. Approximately one foot of his colon was removed, and because he was diagnosed early enough, he did not have to undergo any chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Though Larry and his wife do not consider themselves cyclists, both would sign up for the 50-mile ride a few weeks before the start in order to help fight cancer.

Pete Labita - A transplanted New Yorker, who has lived in Columbus for close to 40 years, Pete was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2005. He would undergo surgery to remove part of his jaw, which was replaced by an autologous bone graft from his leg, and also received radiation treatment. Pete, along with his wife, signed up for the 50-mile route and raised a little over $3,500 in support of Pelotonia and The James.

A more than avid cyclist, Pete had previously participated in RAGBRAI and recently rode across New York state, from Buffalo to Albany, with his wife, camping along the way. Pete was also not unfamiliar to the blogging process, as he was asked by The James to write up his experiences for the LIVESTRONG Summit last July. He would follow up with me after the ride.

"The ride was great. It was a fantastic experience. The energy was high among the riders and the day couldn't have been better. It is such a great cause and everyone riding for the same reason to end cancer. It was well organized and the route was well marked. The countryside was beautiful. I am hoping that they use the same route. I only did the 50 mile ride but hope to do the 100 next year. I felt connected to all that was happening since I am riding as a survivor. The only way to really describe the experience is to be there for the ride. The food was good and plenty of it. The water stops were fun since I was able to talk to people who were experiencing the same energy that I was. The volunteers did a great job of providing for the riders and the staff from the James were great especially the doctors and nurses making sure people were ok. Looking forward to next year."

Donn Young - Mr. Young is quite literally the poster-child for The James and for participating in clinical trials.  He would discover his cancer in what some would call a serendipitous fashion during a pre-surgical workup for back surgery, and just a day prior to his 60th birthday. Not having done a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in some years, Donn asked to have it added to the workup. The results were decidedly "off the charts." He would be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer as well as having metastases to the right shoulder, 8-9 vertebrae, the right hip, and some ribs.

A man of similar career ilk to mine, Donn had worked in clinical research as a Biostatistician since the mid 1970's, but recently retired.  As such, he was well aware of the implications surrounding his diagnosis but also knew the value of clinical trials. He is currently in a clinical trial in which he receives hormone treatment. One of the side effects of the treatment is that it depletes his levels of testosterone and therefore renders him susceptible to muscle wasting and weight gain. Donn is constantly on the go, working out and remaining active, in order to reverse those effects. Though his current PSA is undetectable, Donn knows that his treatment is not a cure for his disease but merely there to help him "bide some time" until a one can be found.

Donn is an accomplished cyclist who can wrench his way from crankset to cassette. He raised well over $4,000 for Pelotonia and rode the full, two-day 180-mile route on a 25-year-old bike.

"Hope Rides Again"

With cancer remaining one of the leading killers of people worldwide, events, like Pelotonia, are unfortunately not particularly uncommon these days. What is disconcerting, however, is that Lance Armstrong needed to come out of retirement for the fight against the disease to once again be relevant on the national and international stage.

Whether you believe in providence or some sort of fatum, the cyclist that is Lance Armstrong is, and perhaps always will be, the perfect person to carry the banner in the fight against cancer. Although he has made winning look simple, everyone who has ever tried the sport of cycling or is associated with it knows the suffering he went through to garner those victories. In that respect, the sport of cycling is the perfect metaphor for those who live with or battle cancer. In no other sport than in cycling is suffering so commonplace and victories so rare. Similarly, though the number of cancer survivors has grown each year, with The James celebrating one of its largest turnouts to date, the victories worldwide continue to be greatly outweighed by the devastating reality that accompanies its diagnosis.

So with all due respect to current U.S. President Barack Obama and Shepard Fairey's rendition of him, but for the millions worldwide who have experienced the effects of cancer firsthand or through a loved one, this is the face that truly inspires hope.

Photos & Art: © Leonard Basobas; Special Thanks to Eileen Scahill -Media Relations, The Ohio State University Medical Center

Related Posts:

• Follow the Tour de France LIVE with the Triple Crankset on LIVESTRONG.com
• Fedrigo Defies Death – 97th Tour de France, Stage 16
• Andy Schleck Takes The Stage, Evans The Jersey – 97th Tour de France, Stage 8
• Cavendish Doubles Up – 97th Tour de France, Stage 6
• Thor Takes A Classic – 97th Tour de France, Stage 3