Biking to benefit her brother and others

"I have really found the cycling world and the people in it to be really wonderful," she said.

REACHING THE FINISH LINE

At about 5 p.m. on Monday, Michelle finished her long trek to Costa Mesa in front of her brother's driveway, riding through a paper banner her family had made as they waved flags and cheered.

With 2,441 miles on her bike's odometer, Michelle didn't even dismount her bicycle before giving her brother John a hug.

"I feel great now that I'm here," Michelle said to the small crowd of family and neighbors who had gathered for her arrival. "I'm a little late because I had to stop and look at the ocean."

John, who assured the crowd he would win his battle against cancer, was speechless at his sister's feat.

"We're so ecstatic!" said Tracy Thompson, John's wife. "We've been worried about her every step of the way."

Without nonprofit status, Michelle has been unable to attract major sponsorship. Instead, she is relying on what she calls "everyday people" who still believe that one person can make a difference in the world.

So far, Michelle's Route 2 Outsmart Cancer campaign, www.route2outsmartcancer.com, has raised close to $10,000 toward her goal. She is still looking for ways to up the ante.

"Excited as I am to finally get there, I feel like there is so much more that I want to do," she said Wednesday, just after crossing the border into California. "I was thinking maybe I could turn around and ride back."