Lindenwood Magazine - Spring / Summer 2020

AUL WRIGHT, PROFESSOR OF HEALTH SCIENCES, is in elite company as one who competes in full Ironman competitions: 2 ½-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and full marathon (26.2 miles), completed back to back to back. Wright’s latest and last, he says, was the 2019 Ironman World Championship last fall in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The race was complicated by the fact Wright broke his arm eight weeks before the race. Wright was one of five athletes across the country selected to participate in this prestigious event on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, for which he has raised $25,000. The money raised will help fund a major research grant for the society to- ward seeking cures for leukemia, lymphoma, and all related blood cancers. Wright said if he reaches the $50,000 threshold, the money will stay in St. Louis to fund research by the Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University. Wright, 48, has completed full Ironman races before, most recently in Britain in 2007, and has also completed numerous shorter versions of the race. As a collegiate athlete at Clemson, Wright competed as a sprinter in the 400- and 800-meter distances. He began his Lindenwood career in 2007 as head track and field coach and coached the Hong Kong track and field team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in China. He currently teaches physical education, sports psychology, and therapeutic recreation in the School of Health Sciences. Wright said he made the decision early on to race in memory of Glenn Markway, a Lindenwood student and rugby player who died after a 2 ½-year battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Wright raised $25,000 for the society in his name in 2018 with a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro that he completed with his wife, Anna. In addition to training and racing with the broken arm, which he suffered in a bike crash during training, Wright also tore a muscle in his lower back just days before competing. Wright knew he could fight through it to help fund the journey towards a cure. “My pain will be temporary,” Wright said. “For many children and their families, the pain can be something harsh and real that can last many years and can all too often take lives.” Wright finished the race in just over 16 hours, coming in 55 minutes before the cut-off time. Initially, he had been planning to finish in closer to 12 hours but lost a month of training to the broken arm. “Sometimes it is not about the time but more importantly getting to the finish line,” said Wright. Wright also paid tribute to his friend and colleague, Dr. Greg Anderson, associate professor of biology, who passed away shortly before Wright’s trip to Kona. “This has been one of the hardest and most remarkable journeys of my entire life,” Wright said. “I am so grateful to so many people.” To contribute, visit https://pages.lls.org/tnt/gat/ ironworl19/pwright n SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | 13 P IRON MAN Wright Completed Epic Race for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by Alexandra Bardon 12 | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 Outstanding FACULTY Joshua Johnson, who graduated from Lindenwood University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in historical studies and a minor in criminal justice, hasn’t had the common experience of most recent college graduates. Through his uncle, Robert Johnson, a retired vice president of the Smithsonian Institute Advisory Board, he worked with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center to help organize “The Party: A Smithsonian Celebration of Asian Pacific Americans” on May 18, 2019, at which he found himself crossing paths with Smithsonian Director Lisa Sasaki, actor Terrance Howard, author Amy Tan, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, and others. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. From there, he traveled to Thailand with his uncle and observed up close textile production there and physically harvested rice, among other experiences in connection with the Mah Fae Luang Foundation. “I was blessed enough to have experiences that few people would ever have with a traditional internship,” he said. Johnson, accepted into the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, will begin his studies in the fall 2020 semester. His goal is to parlay his law degree into a life of service. “In those roles, you have a great capacity to help others,” he said. “At Lindenwood, the campus works to get people out that way. Service is one of the best things we can do with the time that we have.” n Real EXPERIENCE Johnson Has Taken Uncommon Path to Grad School by Chris Duggan Johnson (right) poses with actor Terrance Howard. (left) Johnson (left) harvests rice in a field in Thailand.