Brian McCandless, 20, returned to Slippery Rock last weekend after a 2,000-mile bike ride to the Maine coast and back to raise money for cystic fibrosis research.

A sophomore at Slippery Rock University, Mr. McCandless suffers from 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, making it difficult for the body to break down and absorb food.

Mr. McCandless is "the new face" of cystic fibrosis, said Mary Pat Joseph, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"Brian's life and his ride are a message to the world that CF won't beat him or others," Ms. Joseph said. "His ride invited cyclists and communities to become aware of CF and demonstrates the power and influence one individual has to help change his future and others like him."

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.

Advances in research and medical treatments -- many of them driven by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -- have expanded greatly the life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers. But the median life span for those afflicted with the disease is still only 37 years.

Accompanied by a support van driven by his cousin, Jake Gray, his girlfriend, Emily Matteo, and another friend, Chelsea Fuller, it took Mr. McCandless exactly a month to cycle to Harpswell, Maine and back. He averaged about 100 miles a day riding through Pennsylvania, but only 80 when he reached New England.

Mr. McCandless raised from sponsors some $10,000 more for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation than the $2,000 cost of his ride, Ms. Joseph said.

"That's mostly for food and gas," Brian said. "We didn't have any lodging costs. We'd sleep in churches, or in the homes of people. We met some really nice people along the way."

This was the second year for "Brian's Ride." Last year he cycled to Tallahassee, Fla., and back.

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

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