John Heller, Post-Gazette Brian McCandless trains for Brian's Ride at the cycling class he instructs at the fitness center on the Slippery Rock University campus, where he's a freshman. Click photo for larger image.

Brian McCandless, 19, a freshman at Slippery Rock University, has cystic fibrosis, an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems of about 30,000 people in the United States.

A defective gene causes the body to produce a thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and obstructs the pancreas, which makes it difficult for the body to break down and absorb food.

Half a century ago, it's unlikely that Mr. McCandless would have lived long enough to attend college. In those days, most children born with cystic fibrosis died before they were old enough to attend elementary school.

Since then, advances in research and medical treatments -- many of them driven by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -- greatly have expanded the life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers. But the median life span for those afflicted with the disease is still only 37 years. And though advances in medicine have made it much easier for cystic fibrosis sufferers to live with their disease, there is still no cure.

In order to raise money for cystic fibrosis research, and to demonstrate to his fellow cystic fibrosis sufferers that the disease need not prevent them from pursuing their dreams, Brian McCandless is planning to cycle the 2,000 miles between Pittsburgh and Tallahassee, Fla., and back in 25 days this summer.

He decided to go on "Brian's Ride" after his doctor asked him to speak to a family who had just learned that their child had been diagnosed with CF.

"My doctor wanted the distraught parents to see that I had not allowed CF to win," he said.

The young man ran cross country and was a high jumper at Butler High School, but bicycling is his passion. He teaches a class in it two days a week at the fitness center at Slippery Rock, where he is majoring in physical education.

"My main goal is to raise awareness, and to show kids who have CF that they can do anything they set their minds to," Mr. McCandless said.

Though CF sufferers usually have trouble breathing and maintaining a healthy body weight, he found that exercise helps him cope with the disease.

"Exercise is a good way to clear away the mucus [the disease produces]," he said.

But Mr. McCandless has to be extra careful about replacing the salts he loses through sweat, and he has to eat a lot to keep up his energy, because cystic fibrosis sufferers have a much higher metabolic rate than most people without the disease.

"I have five or six big meals and a couple of snacks a day," Mr. McCandless said.

A typical breakfast for him is cereal and bananas and "some kind of meat." Lunch would be two sandwiches, more cereal, mashed potatoes and pasta. Dinner would be two more sandwiches, a power bar and a milkshake.

He plans to start "Brian's Ride" at Children's Hospital in Oakland on May 17. His goal is riding about 100 miles per day.

The cyclist estimates the trip will cost about $8,000, mostly for food, lodging, and gas for the support van that will follow him on his route.

Mr. McCandless is soliciting sponsors for the trip. If you want to help, contact him at 724-504-2199 or e-mail him at cycleforcystic@gmail.com. All funds raised above what is necessary to defray expenses will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.

"By supporting Brian and his cycle event through a donation or pledge, you can help make the letters 'CF' stand for Cure Found," said Mary Pat Joseph, executive director of the foundation, in a letter of endorsement.

For more information about cystic fibrosis, see www.cff.org/.