The inaugural Pelotonia in 2009 was a lesson in perseverance for Missler, as she rode most of her 100-mile route from Columbus to Athens alone and was among the last to finish.
“I joked that Lance Armstrong (world-famous cyclist who participated in the first Pelotonia) got the sheriff’s escort out (of Columbus), and I got the sheriff’s escort in (to Athens), as one of the last to arrive,” she says.
Another year, she rode while recovering from shingles. Still another year, she delayed brain surgery for an incidental-finding aneurysm so she could ride. Her surgeon, a Pelotonia rider whose wife was battling cancer, “knew what it meant to me, as it meant a lot to him, too. He said, ‘Take it easy, and you can ride.’”
Two years ago, Missler rode just 3.5 months after having a knee replacement. “Those 25 miles — my shortest Pelotonia ride — took everything I had,” she says.
“I kept repeating the names of people I was riding for, as well as people who are no longer around, but I could feel their presence supporting me — my mom and dad, my niece Maureen and my nephew Ryan. There was no way I wouldn’t finish.”
A staunch competitor, Missler grew up in a large family (including eight siblings) and played many sports — basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis, racquetball — but her journey to becoming an avid cyclist didn’t begin until she and some friends added a century bike ride to their “bucket list” and then found an opportunity in the first Pelotonia.
“I signed up and have not stopped since,” Missler says. “That first ride was personal; as a cancer survivor, I wanted to give back to The James. And the ride was a spiritual experience, with all the people along the route cheering and thanking you for riding.”
Missler’s experience with cancer began when she was diagnosed with melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, at age 35 after having “an itchy spot” removed from her back by a dermatologist. A week later, she was seen by the late Michael Walker, MD, a surgical oncologist at The James whom she describes as “a tremendous surgeon and a thorough and caring man.”
“My surgery in August 1996 was a great success, with clear margins and a benign sentinel node biopsy,” Missler says. “My treatment and recovery at The James were fantastic. I am now 24 years cancer free and am seen by a dermatologist at Ohio State every year.
“Pelotonia is a must for me now,” adds Missler, a member of the Team Buckeye – Team CTCL (Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma) peloton. “Every year, come the first weekend in August, I’ll be on my bike riding to end cancer.”
“For my 12th ride, My Pelotonia was to ride and walk 1,700 miles by 12/12/2020,” she says, noting that her partner Heather often joined her in these excursions. “My friend Ben died on July 19, after an approximately six-year courageous battle with melanoma. I am beyond sad. I am walking and cycling 100 miles for each of the 17 years that I knew Ben.”