The eighth annual Standing Up to POTS walk/run organized by Cathy Pederson, class of 1991 and the Elizabeth “Betty” E. Powelson Endowed Chair in Biology at Wittenberg, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. followed by the race at 11 a.m., both along Alumni Way in front of the Benham-Pence Student Center.
POTS, which stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, includes symptoms such as constant fatigue, rapid heartbeat, sensitivity to light and temperature, dizziness, and more. Standing Up to POTS, a 501(c)(3) organization created by Pederson in 2014, has a mission to improve the quality of life for people with POTS through research, advocacy, and support.
Pederson and her family know firsthand what it’s like to live with the disorder as her daughter, Lily, a sophomore here at Wittenberg, suffers from POTS. She became ill at age 10. For Pederson’s daughter, POTS is so harsh that it affects her ability to attend school.
This 5K event at Wittenberg is the biggest and most important fundraiser for the Standing Up to POTS organization. The money raised will fund research in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Sweden. Together the Pederson family has raised more than $275,000 for POTS research, and Standing Up to POTS® awarded $258,600 in grant money to six POTS research teams in four countries.
Pederson has published 14 papers on POTS/chronic illness and quality of life issues in the past couple of years. Pederson’s younger daughter, Kate, has served as director of social media and designed T-shirts for the annual 5K, as well as graphics for both the website and the Facebook page.
“Standing Up to POTS is thrilled to be back in person (and also virtual) for our annual 5K/2K event,” Pederson said. “We are so proud to have faculty, staff, and students participate in this event every year. Since its inception in 2014, our local charity has gained international attention. People from more than 150 countries have visited our website, and we have people with POTS from 54 countries who follow our Standing Up to POTS Facebook page. We also have a new podcast (cleverly called The POTScast) which is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about POTS.”
You can find The POTScast anywhere you listen to podcasts, or at this link.
