Cycling Journey Celebrates Life on Trails

A thirty-day, 700-mile cycling journey to celebrate life and the Kansas trails he helped to create is just part of why Mike Scanlon is in Salina this weekend. The cancer survivor will park his bike, and participate in the“Fe For a Cure” 5K run on Saturday down Santa Fe.

Scanlon joined in on KSAL Morning News Extra to share his story of a lung tumor that spread cancer throughout his body – to a much brighter future via new medical treatments.

Scanlon’s quest began September 15th, and will conclude October 15th. He’ll change from his cycling gear into his running this Saturday morning to participate in the “Fe For a Cure” event.

“Trails are more than paths through the prairie; they are lifelines for small towns, strengthening connections and boosting local economies,” said Scanlon. “This ride is about resilience—in lung cancer treatments that extend lives and research that opens new possibilities, in the riders who bike our trails, and in the rural communities those trails connect.”

Scanlon, who was diagnosed in March 2024 with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), credits a rare biomarker (EGFR Exon 19 deletion) and targeted therapy (Tagrisso by AstraZeneca) for keeping him among the small fraction of NSCLC patients currently with No Evidence of Disease (NED).

While his own battle continues, he is determined to use his journey to inspire others and to bring awareness to the need for wider biomarker testing and cancer research.

The fundraising goal for Ride 4 Resilience is $75,000, shared equally between GO2 for Lung Cancer and Kansas Trails Inc. Two anonymous donors have pledged to match every dollar up to $20,000, doubling the impact of contributions.

Daily highlights are on social media throughout the ride, with opportunities for local communities to participate as the tour passes through their towns.

“This is more than a ride,” Scanlon added. “It’s about leaving our communities not less, but better and more beautiful than we found them. If I can help one person with lung cancer or brighten one Kansas town, it will be the greatest gift I can offer.”