Few students who use the Ping Recreation Center on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons probably realize they’re working out alongside the man whose name is on the building.
Although his business as Ohio University’s 18th president ended in 1994, Charles Ping, now in his 80s, works hard at the campus recreation center to regain his full ability to move after heart troubles.
At 1 p.m. twice a week, Ping rides the elevator to the second floor of the recreation center to meet with Devon Vicari, a fitness graduate assistant director and Ping’s personal trainer.
Ping works out to regain some of the movement — such as getting in and out of his chair with ease — that he lost with a frozen shoulder and frozen knees, Vicari said.
“His end goal is not only to regain daily living movement and ability but also to be able to come to Ping Center and work out like he used to because he misses feeling that,” she said.
His workout at the recreation center is supplemental to his cardiac rehabilitation program at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital.
“His passion for this is amazing, but I’m always worried to push him too hard,” Vicari said. “He’s not worried, so someone has to worry about him.”
Exercise has been routine in Ping’s life since he was young, Ping said. He played a variety of sports in high school, college and several city leagues.
“I have been disciplined by my 70 years to heavy exercise,” he said. “I feel better when I do it, I think I study better and I embrace life.”
However, about 23 years ago, Ping began to have trouble with his knees and required a total knee replacement surgery.
“I went there because the pain was getting unbearable,” he said.
Directly after surgery, Ping spent an extra two weeks in bed because of blood clots in both legs.
He then spent six months in physical therapy trying to regain his ability to walk, he said.
“We would grunt and groan and maybe in a week’s time gain a degree of flexure or a degree of extension,” Ping said.
Once he regained the ability to walk, Ping continued to work out on campus and encouraged others to do so as well.
Ping Center construction began in 1994 after students expressed interest in a new recreation center separate from the gym and handball courts in Grover Center, Ping said.
“(Student Senate) put their heads together in terms of what they thought they wanted and generations to come,” Ping said.
Ping said he encouraged senate to pass a resolution to tax themselves in order to pay for construction for the expanded facility, but he said he was surprised to see the organization vote to name the facility after him.
“I take pride in the building; I rejoice in the role it plays on campus. And besides, I can get a towel without showing ID,” Ping said.
Despite being the namesake of the building, Ping said he still wanted to pay the OU faculty and staff an annual fee of $275, but it was waived for him.
Ping had the option to work out at WellWorks, the OU employee workout facility in Grover Center, but he decided to use Ping Center because of its high-quality facilities and equipment.
Ping tries to fly under the radar when he visits the facility, and he said he only speaks with students when they recognize him first, such as Cutler Scholars, members of a scholarship program he co-directs.
When Vicari first heard she would be working with Ping, she said she felt some pressure to work on training with a former OU president, but she quickly felt comfortable after getting to know him.
“Once you get to know him, he’s so personable that you don’t really pay attention to that anymore,” Vicari said.
More recently, Ping released a book about his decade of presidency at OU.
As editorial director of OU Press, which published the book, Gillian Berchowitz said she enjoyed working with Ping on publishing the story.
“He really is credited with bringing in a whole new period of prosperity and enhanced the university’s reputation and the quality of education and life here,” Berchowitz said.
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