Ohio State University: President Johnson to help lead Team Buckeye for Pelotonia 2021
Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson will serve as the honorary captain for Pelotonia’s Team Buckeye when the ride to fight cancer returns this summer.
“I am honored to serve as Team Buckeye’s honorary captain for this year’s Pelotonia,” Johnson said.
President Kristina M. Johnson
Pelotonia hosts a three-day experience, this year Aug. 6-8, that includes a weekend of cycling, entertainment and volunteerism. Since its founding, Pelotonia has raised over $217 million for cancer research for the university’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, including The Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.
“We are excited for President Johnson to join us this summer as we come back safely together for our Ride Weekend,” said Pelotonia President and Chief Executive Officer Doug Ulman. “Her leadership and compelling personal story are the inspirational fuel that powers Pelotonia.”
Johnson will captain the university’s superpeloton. Team Buckeye members include all participants in Pelotonia who are currently Ohio State students, faculty, staff or alumni, as well as their family and friends.
“The fight to cure cancer is personal for me. When I was a senior in college going into graduate school, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system,” Johnson said.
The diagnosis upended her life, and she said relied on a team of friends, family and colleagues to make it through her treatment. That support and teamwork is vital to fighting cancer, Johnson said, noting that the power of a collective effort vastly exceeds what individuals can accomplish alone.
“Thankfully, the treatment worked, and I have gone on to have so many amazing opportunities, which have brought me here to The Ohio State University and this incredible Pelotonia community of dedicated, caring individuals who are united in their belief in the power of many,” she said.
Registration is open for this year’s Ride Weekend. Pelotonia 2021 will include both in-person ride experiences and self-guided participation options. Those interested in registering can sign up at pelotonia.org/register.
As in previous years, 100% of every dollar raised by participants goes to Ohio State’s cancer-fighting treatments and research.
“When we pool our resources, our knowledge and our research, we are far more likely to succeed in triumphing over life’s challenges,” Johnson said. “Together we will move forward and conquer cancer – one mile and one dollar at a time.”