COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon is pleased to announce the 2019 “Patient Champions” who will represent 24 of the 26 miles on the course. The other two miles, the Encore Mile, will honor former Marathon Patient Champions, and the Angel Mile, will celebrate the lives of those who are no longer with us.
A committee of hospital staff selected this year’s Marathon Patient Champions after a review of several inspiring patient stories submitted via the hospital’s social networking sites \ and nationwidechildrens.org. Patient Champions, current or former patients of Nationwide Children’s, were chosen based on various criteria, including diversity of diagnosis, age and enthusiasm to cheer on race participants at their mile. A full list of the Patient Champions is below.
To help fund the lifesaving research and care taking place at Nationwide Children’s, marathon and ½ marathon participants are encouraged to fundraise as “Children’s Champions.” 2019 marks the eighth year the hospital is the title beneficiary of the marathon, receiving more than $8 million, including over $1 million from the Columbus Marathon Board of Directors.
Corporate or community organizations interested in becoming a partner in 2019 may contact Morgen Spon with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-5419. To read more about the marathon Patient Champions and to support Nationwide Children’s, please visit nationwidechildrens.org/marathon-patient-champions.
The 40th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon is Sunday, October 20 at 7:30 a.m. at North Bank Park. It is one of the Top 20 marathons in the United States. For more information, visit www.columbusmarathon.com.
The 2019 Patient Champions:
- Evan Alioto, 17, Visually & Hearing Impaired, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 43068
- Madelyn Armbrust, 5, CDKL5, Epilepsy, Blacklick, Ohio, 43004
- Brantley Bible, 7, Osteochondral Fractured Right Knee, Howard, Ohio, 43028
- Monroe Cass, 4, Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Blacklick, Ohio, 43004
- Cameron Doelling, 6, Double Outlet Right Ventricle, Hilliard, Ohio, 43026
- Achiga Dor, 8, Anorectal Malformation Sylvania, Ohio, 43560
- Joaquin Duran, 10, Cleft Lip & Palate, Severe Reflux, Columbus, Ohio, 43224
- Levi Fleshman, 4, Nephrotic Syndrome, End Stage Renal Disease, Williamsport, Ohio 43164
- Jack Fulkert, 6, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Dublin, Ohio, 43017
- Bodie Harvey, 10, Shone’s Complex, London, Ohio,43140
- Charlie Hill, 3, Down Syndrome, Columbus, Ohio, 43221
- Matilda Hopkins, 6, Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Columbus, Ohio, 43212
- Priscilla Jenkins, 16, Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, Cerebral Palsy, Nystagmus, Columbus, Ohio, 43232
- Julia Kuba, 12, Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus, Marion, Ohio, 43302
- Maelée Leonard, 4, Neuroectodermal Tumor, Pataskala, Ohio, 43062
- Bhoomi Manjunatha, 8, Cerebral Palsy, Powell, Ohio, 43065
- Conner McLaren, 13, Gender Dysphoria, ADHD, Lancaster, Ohio, 43130
- Alexander Nyamohanga, 20, Sickle Cell Anemia, Multiple Strokes, Westerville, Ohio, 43081
- Andrew Ricciardo, 12, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder,, Gahanna, Ohio, 43230
- Grant Richards, 5, Prematurity/Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Dublin, Ohio, 43016
- Elizabeth Swartwout, 8, Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Powell, Ohio, 43065
- Joseph Trester, 11, Juvenile Retinoschisis, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 43119
- Sophia Walker, 14, Type 1 Diabetes, Hilliard, Ohio, 43026
- Kael Wilson, 13, Beta Thalassemia Major, Bexley, Ohio, 43209
Note: Age on race day is reflected.