Personalities

Ride Warrior

Tanny Crane tells her Pelotonia story to inspire others to join

The temperature is roughly 90 degrees, the humidity is on par with Florida weather, and now it’s time to cycle four 100-mile rides throughout central Ohio and conquer the infamous Reynoldsburg Road hill not just one time but four times.

Some may call this insane. Tanny Crane calls it the Legendary Four-Leaf Clover Challenge for her My Pelotonia ride.

Pelotonia 2020 is My Pelotonia

If you’re from central Ohio, you know Pelotonia, the 2008-founded organization that raises money for cancer research for The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. After fundraising efforts conclude, a three-day cycling event takes place that brings thousands together. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelotonia organizers knew the 2020 event had to change.

“Bringing thousands of people together right now is a challenge, but bringing thousands of people together, many of whom have cancer, is an even bigger challenge because of their risk profile,” says Doug Ulman, president and CEO of Pelotonia. “We would never do anything to put people in harm’s way.”

Instead of a mass ride in August, the new My Pelotonia initiative is underway and runs until Aug. 7. The virtual experience allows participants to set their own fundraising and activity goals, whether

that’s running, making masks or cycling every day.

For Crane, a longtime New Albany resident and avid cyclist with Girls with Gears and Pelotonia, this virtual experience meant setting higher goals – but she didn’t want to ride alone. When she pitched the 400-plus mile idea to her bike gang (as they call themselves), My Pelotonia suddenly became Our Pelotonia.

“That’s what we’re going to do, and it is insane,” Crane says, laughing.

That’s the beauty of My Pelotonia: there’s total freedom. Even though fundraising isn’t required to participate in the 2020 event, Pelotonia will still donate 100 percent of funds raised to the James. Plus, its pledging $1 million of that to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients.

Ulman says this new, highly functional and interactive virtual experience will replace the old virtual ride that was merely transactional. Plus, having a year without the ride means when it does return, it will be better than ever before.

“This platform will continue on and we’ll add the ride back when we can,” Ulman says. “This also give us a chance to reinvent the ride. Next year, it will probably have a new route and aspects. We have this time, that we wouldn’t have asked for, but we’re trying to take advantage of the situation.”

A Pelotonia Legend

Prior to participating in Pelotonia, Crane says she was never a huge cyclist. When she learned about the grassroots movement, her philanthropic spirit shifted into high gear and she couldn’t help but join the cause. Every year, Crane raises about $15,000, and every year she matches that dollar for dollar.

“She continues to go above and beyond from a fundraising perspective,” says Ulman. “Her achievements on that front are legendary. Just through her own fundraising she’s raised the equivalent dollars to fund 20-plus research grants. … We just feel so humbled and beyond appreciative of all that she does.”

Crane says fundraising for Pelotonia is rather easy since everyone has a cancer story and knows the importance of eradicating it. She simply sends out a large email to personal and business friends that includes recent statistics from the James as well as her father’s story, who died of lung cancer.

Crane says she always rides with her father in mind. When she sees can

Pelotonia isn’t Tanny Crane’s only long-distance ride. In 2023, Crane will participate in Bike Across America. The route stretches from Portland, Oregon, to the tip of New Hampshire. The cyclists have 52 days to complete the course, meaning they’re biking around 100 miles each day.

“It’s just getting mentally and physically ready,” she says.

Of course, she won’t put Pelotonia on hold for this trek. Crane has already pledged to Doug Ulman that she’ll raise funds while training and

Crane with Girls with Gears at the 2018 Pelotonia opening ceremony.

participating in her cross-county route. cer surviors riding, and when she rides alongside them, Crane is emboldened.

“When I’m riding next to men and women who have on the back of their jersey, ‘I’m a survivor,’ I feel like the pain of my two days is just a drop in the bucket compared to the pain they’ve endured,” Crane says. “Whatever anyone of us can do to help … is so well worth it.”

As for riding, Crane says the second she started training she knew she discovered a new passion.

“The first year, I had never ridden 100 miles, … so preparing for it was such fun,” Crane says. “Now it’s become an addiction; I love it so much.”

For the first few years, Crane rode with a different Pelotonia group and loved every moment. When she learned about the New Albany-based Girls with Gears group, an empowering all-women team founded by fellow New Albany resident Lisa Hinson, Crane made the switch.

“I’ve developed friendships with this amazing group of women. A lot of them are from New Albany, but not all; we’re from all over Columbus,” Crane says.

Crane’s longtime friend and Pelotonia buddy, Jim Coleman, is an honorary member of Girls with Gears. The two have ridden together since the beginning and she calls him an inspirational rider.

Regardless of what group she rides with, the physical and emotional sensations of riding hundreds of miles throughout Ohio are priceless. Crane recalls one of her favorite moments in the two-day Pelotonia ride, an aspect

The Ride for Mental Health

It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought even more light to the mental health crisis. Many experts have found that selfquarantining and social distancing can result in increased depression and anxiety. CNN reported that the Disaster Distress Helpline saw nearly 900 percent increase in calls in March 2020 when compared to March 2019.

Thankfully, anyone can help mental health efforts this summer by riding a bike.

The Ride for Mental Health raises money for the education, research and treatment of mental illness for McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. New Albany resident and longtime endurance cyclist Keith Berend joined the ride a few years ago to support his daughter, Taylor, who experiences mental illness. Since the ride is virtual and not hosted in New York this year, Berend is now working to get his neighbors involved.

Any age can participate, and registration is open until the event concludes Sept. 7. Until then, participants can track their progress through the organization’s Strava group (a social media platform designed to track exercise) and can win prizes for categories such as riding the furthest, taking on the most elevation or raising the most money.

“We’re hoping to use this year to both raise some money but also raise everyone’s awareness of this event,” Berend says. “Hopefully, when we do it in person next year, we can have hundreds of riders and raise even more money for mental health with #rideawaythestigma.”

Berend says this ride is a clear fit for New Albany residents: The New Albany Community Foundation is a strong advocate for mental health awareness with its Jefferson Series, New AlbanyPlain Local Schools continues its WellBeing Initiative, and many other businesses and efforts in the area support the topic of mental health.

“We, being the community, stated many years ago that we want to be the healthiest community in the country,” Berend says. “In order to do that – we’re well on our way with aspects like the (New Albany Walking Classic), the trails and the (New Albany Farmers Market) – we also have to be the healthiest mental health community.”

For more information, visit www. rideformentalhealth.org.

Tanny Crane and Caroline Worley at Market Square Finish 2018

she’ll miss this year. It was the Sunday morning of the ride – always chilly and misty, Crane says, making the first portion of the ride crisp and relaxing. As she rode through the countryside, flying by hills and lush summertime plains, she could hear the clip-clop of Amish buggies as the church procession began. The riders and churchgoers smiled and waved at one another before Crane sped off with her peloton.

“The hairs on the skin just raised because it’s just so beautiful,” Crane says. “I would never experience that otherwise, right here, less than 100 miles from here, if it weren’t for Pelotonia.”

As the race concludes and the final miles stretch on, Crane says it’s all worth it when they enter Market Square and are greeted by hundreds of volunteers and residents. Even though that won’t happen this year, Crane is thankful that she can still ride and raise money for cancer research, which makes participating in Pelotonia a no-brainer.

“It’s easy to participate because just look in the face of someone who has cancer and just know that by participating in any way – whether you’re a volunteer, a virtual rider, or this year you’re

Crane and fellow 180-mile riders at the Market Square finish line in 2013.

running, walking, cooking, sewing face masks – that your efforts are saving lives. Period,” Crane says. “That’s all I need.” Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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