Dylan LeBlanc trained for the trip of a lifetime -- 4,500 miles from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska by bike.

LeBlanc and 44 others -- mostly University of Texas students -- were training for the worlds longest charity bicycle ride -- The Texas 4000.

The ride takes place over 70 days, going through 12 states and two countries.

The reason behind it all - cancer.

Each rider has been touched by cancer.

LeBlanc began this quest riding for his aunt who has an incurable form of cancer.

"She was diagnosed with multiple myloma almost 3 years ago,” he said.

But then his life changed.

"I was diagnosed January on the 29th. It was testicular cancer. At that moment you’re thinking I can't die when I am 23 years old," said LeBlanc.

Suddenly the ride to cure cancer may be beyond his reach.

"How ironic -- ya know -- is this," he said.

UT graduate Chris Condit had also heard that dreaded diagnosis.

"My own personal experience with cancer was at age 11. I had Hodgkin's lymphoma," he said.

As a cancer survivor at 22, he decided to help.

"I felt like it was appropriate to have the longest annual charity ride in the world be a vehicle to help fight cancer," he said.

In 2004, Chris Condit, his brother and the first group of Texas 4000 cyclists set out in the now traditional way.

"I'm riding for my brother who had cancer when he was 11 and I was 8,” said Doug Condit, Chris Condit’s brother. “It was a scary time and I'm glad I can ride to Alaska with him now.”

Every year since, dedicated riders have continued the mission splitting into two groups -- half following the Rocky Mountains and half tracing the West Coast as a way to spread the message to more communities.

"The first thing people say is not, wow I can't believe this is such a long ride but they'll say my brother just got diagnosed with cancer or my mom died of cancer,” said Chris Condit.

The goal for each rider is to spread hope, knowledge, and charity.

"It's an outlet. It's a way for these young riders who have been touched by cancer to fight back,” said Chris Condit

Fighting back became the new goal for LeBlanc - he was diagnosed with testicular cancer less than five months before the 2008 Texas 4000.

"I wasn't expecting to be able to ride," he said.

Through surgery and chemotherapy LeBlanc has pedaled on.

And now -- "I am cancer free,” he said.

LeBlanc was cleared to ride from Austin to Anchorage for his aunt and himself.

"This means even more to me now and it's just glaringly apparent that this affects anybody and everybody,” he said.