Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby-Alldis has received the Gabe Grunewald Inspiration Award from AKTIV Against Cancer, which cited her breast cancer advocacy and her commitment to movement throughout her cancer experience.
Leanne was honored at the group’s annual awards dinner at the New York Athletic Club in New York City on October 28, 2026. AKTIV announced the honorees ahead of the event.
Leanne shared the news via Instagram, writing in part:
“I’m in a club nobody wants to be in, but if being part of it means I can help someone else feel seen, heard, understood or a little more hopeful, then I’ll keep using my voice.”
She went on to discuss using her platform to encourage people to check their bodies, saying:
em>”For me, it’s always been about what I can give back. Encouraging someone to check their body, and check again. Reminding someone going through treatment that there is hope. Continuing to champion movement, not just for what it can do for our bodies, but for what it can do for our minds, our confidence and our ability to feel like ourselves again.”
AKTIV Against Cancer works to make physical activity part of cancer care. The organization was co-founded by Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen in Norway in 2007.
The award bears the name of the late professional runner Gabe Grunewald, whom AKTIV recognized in 2017 for continuing to run through cancer treatment. Past recipients of the Inspiration Award include Ethan Zohn in 2025 and Team Casper Ruud in 2024.
AKTIV also named Summit Health Cares as a 2026 honoree. The announcement highlighted plans for the first U.S. AKTIV Center at Summit Health in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, to provide exercise programming for people undergoing cancer treatment.
Leanne shared more about the experience in her newsletter:
“During my trip, I had the opportunity to see the first AKTIV Center in the United States, at Summit Health in New Jersey. The experience was incredibly moving and SO motivating, because I know, first hand, what movement gave me during my own treatment.”
She also said it was the first award she had received as an adult, and that she hoped to become more involved with AKTIV Against Cancer.
Leanne publicly shared her breast cancer diagnosis in January 2023, after being diagnosed in August 2022. She continued teaching Peloton classes during treatment. Her awareness work has also included a Peloton apparel collection supporting CoppaFeel.
You can see Leanne’s full post via Instagram and the press release.
Congratulations to Leanne!
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