One trip of 4,500 miles across the country can help save lives.

This summer, seven undergraduate students will participate in a transcontinental bike ride to raise $60,000 to benefit cancer research through the student-run nonprofit organization Believe in the Cure.

Proceeds from the trip will go toward the American Cancer Society to help scientists further their research on cancer and finding possible solutions.

“There are so many great scientists and so much money available,” said Nathan Crain, a senior Spanish and genetics major from Roswell and co-director of Believe in the Cure. “We just want the money to get the best scientists.”

Crain and Sarah Breevoort, both undergraduate honor students and cancer researchers, began the student organization after Breevoort’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breevoort, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Kennesaw, proposed the idea of a transcontinental ride at a Triathlon Club meeting, and by Winter Break found six other students who were passionate about curing cancer and wanted to participate in the trip.

Five other students will join Crain and Breevoort for the long haul: Clare Scott, Michael Berke, John Binford, Megan Cole and Mark Paton-Ash.

Many team members have been affected by cancer in some way and see the trip as an opportunity to help fight the disease.

“Both my grandfathers died of cancer, so it’s a way to give back and prevent it from happening to other kids,” said Berke, a freshman from Roswell studying exercise and sport science.

For the team, participating in a transcontinental ride serves as a symbol of the journey against cancer. By encountering different terrain and pushing through, they become one step closer to eliminating cancer.

Scott, a senior from Clemson, S.C., studying entymology and genetics, is following in the footsteps of her father, who rode the trail during its inaugural year.

“My dad did the same ride and I had always heard stories. So when the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to ride to see what it is like,” said Scott.

On June 1, the team will embark on a two-month journey that will begin in the coastal town of Astoria, Ore., and end July 31 in Yorktown, Va.

The TransAmerica Trail that the team will follow was created in 1976 by the Adventure Cycling Association to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial, according to the group’s Web site.

It holds a variety of terrain, and the team will pass through historic sites along the way, including Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, which is rich in history from the American Revolution.

“I am excited to see the nation,” said Berke. “Being on bikes will allow us to take it all in.”

While experiencing different regions of the country provides a source of excitement, there is another aspect of the trip.

“The most rewarding part of the trip is meeting people that have been stricken by cancer,” said Crain. “Their support will be unbelievable.”

The team’s attitude is best summarized by their mission statement: “We believe in ourselves, we believe in the cause, and we believe in the cure.”

The team also will be able to draw inspiration from their “Miracle Miles.” With Miracle Miles, people who donate money can write letters about a loved one afflicted by cancer. The team will read these letters while on the trip and personally respond to each one.

In Training

Over the past few months, the team has participated in triathlons and centuries, or 100-mile bike rides. The team also rides together several times a week, sometimes with weights on their bikes to simulate the weight they will carry.

The mental preparation for riding an average of 80 miles a day has been to ignore the physical pain and think of the cause.

“I just do it and see what happens,” said Berke. “I constantly think of what it means to us, what patients go through, and it becomes easy to push yourself when you think about their pain.”

In terms of diet, the team will start tailoring their diets as the date of the ride draws closer.

“I’m on a ‘see food’ diet because everything you eat gets burned off on the bikes,” said Crain, meaning if he sees food, he eats it. “I also eat a lot of pasta and protein.”

They will carry everything they need to sustain themselves, including sleeping bags, tents, food, water and bike equipment.

In order to accommodate the supplies, which on average weigh 30 to 40 pounds, the team has racks attached to their bikes and thicker bike wheels.

At night, they will pitch their tents and sleep in campsites, churches or with other triathlon teams that will be willing to host them for the night.

The team members’ parents have been supportive of the team’s endeavor to take a stand on an issue larger than themselves.

“My parents are really supportive,” Berke said. “My dad has been getting the team logos, flyers and stickers.”

Students can show support by donating money on www.believeinthecure.com or spreading the word about the trip.