Mason Fisher: Ohio State student, 27, dies during ‘Pelotonia’ fundraising bike ride
COLUMBUS, OHIO: A 27-year-old Ohio State University medical student, who was raising money for cancer research died during the annual ‘Pelotonia’ ride this weekend, on August 6. The student, Mason Fisher, was participating in the Pelotonia for the third time.
Fisher suffered a heart-related medical issue during the 102-mile bike ride on Saturday. Pelotonia is an annual bicycle ride event in which participants ride on routes ranging from 20 miles to 200 miles to raise money for cancer research.
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The Lantern revealed that Fisher who was a second-year student of Ohio State’s College of Medicine, participated in the race to honor his late friend, Henry, who passed away in May 2021 after his battle with colorectal cancer. During the bike ride, Fisher started facing heart issues just before the finish line at the 100th mile of the 102-mile bike ride. Suddenly, he collapsed and passed away later, says a statement released by Pelotonia President Doug Ulman, which described Fisher as a "beloved member of the Team Buckeye – Spin Doctors Peloton as well as The Ohio State University". The statement added, "His giving spirit and dedication to helping others were evident to all and this loss affects the entire Pelotonia community."
It later came out that Fisher was suffering from Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic condition predisposing a person to cancer. His mother was also a cancer survivor. Fisher’s friend Elias Maloof said he has always been passionate about cancer research and was a guest speaker at Ohio University for first-year medical students. According to Fisher’s Pelotonia fundraising profile, he wanted to donate every penny of the collection to the fight against cancer and the lives of cancer survivors. As of 2:30 pm, more than $8000 was raised by Fisher. Fisher wrote a lengthy Facebook post in June in which he talked about how this battle against cancer has become personal to him as he has already seen many of his friends and family member getting affected by it.
"I’m excited to ride 102 miles for such a great cause and to help raise money and bring awareness to Pelotonia," Fisher wrote. "Over the past few years, I’ve seen how cancer diagnoses have affected my family and friends It makes it THAT much more important for me to do my small part." He added.
Fellow students and the Ohio State community paid its last respect to the aspiring medical student. Sharing their grief, the community notice read, “It is with profound sorrow that we share that Mason Fisher passed away after experiencing a medical event during his Pelotonia ride on Saturday. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
Pelontonia is a non-profitable charity group that donates 100 percent of the funds raised in the events to the Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center department. Apart from Fisher, more than 7000 residents participated in the fundraising event of the organization. The annual Pelotonia charity ride has accumulated more than USD 170 million over 10 years for cancer research at Ohio State University.