ADEL, Iowa — Like many Iowans Maria and Pat Steele share a love of cycling and the outdoors. And at the end of September they’re taking off on a journey of a lifetime.

The Steeles have put some miles on their bike’s tires.

“I was lucky enough to meet Pat in college who also liked to bike, so we did bicycling in college,” Maria said.

They’ve kept riding. In fact in 2015 they celebrated 37 years of marriage by cycling cross country from Florida to California.

“Wind in my face — most of the time Pat and I are out together and it’s a chance to talk or not to talk and enjoy the trails,” Maria said.

“I’ve kind of wondered there being too much time together would be detrimental, but I think we grew together as a couple,” Pat said.

Forty-eight days on the road would be the test of a lifetime for many couples, but for the Steeles the ride was only just beginning. A surprise diagnosis stopped the Steeles in their tracks.

“Maria was diagnosed in 2019 with stage four lung cancer,” Dr. Richard Deming, MercyOne Deming Cancer Center’s Medical Director, said. “So, you can imagine going from a very fit, healthy individual to find out that you have lung cancer as a non-smoker. I can only imagine what that’s like for Maria to hear those words.”

“He said ‘Well, you know, we don’t have a crystal ball, but statistically you have a year to live,’” Maria said.

That was over four years ago. A breakthrough in biomarker testing gave her cancer team a map to treating her incurable disease — and gave Maria a new outlook on life.

“‘It’s allowed me to live my life,” she said. “People should have that time, they should have that, they should be able to live life.”

Dr. Deming says what Maria has accomplished so far is helping others along the way.

“What Maria has done, you know, taken this bump in the road of life, this cancer diagnosis, and she had learned everything she can about her diagnosis and the cause and the treatment and she’s used the wisdom she’s gained not just to illuminate her own life, but to illuminate the paths of other people and to use her experience to help other people along the way,” Dr. Deming said.

Maria now spends a lot of her time at the Iowa State Capitol advocating for bills like the school radon safety act. She also gave a testimony in support of biomarker treatment, which led to a bill being signed this May — ensuring Iowans are covered by Medicaid and state regulated insurance plans.

And Maria’s still not done. At the end of September she and Pat are getting back on their bikes and riding across the country. This time going from border-to-border raising money for the American Cancer Society.

“We don’t know how many years we have left but we’re going to do as much as we can,” Pat said.

“Just finding something you love doing and, the even better, doing it together. I mean what more can you ask for?” Maria said. “If nothing else a cancer diagnosis has allowed me to be grateful and to look for even more positive things.”

The Steeles plan to take off from Antler, North Dakota on September 30. As part of their ride they’re raising money for the American Cancer Society and the Cancer Action Network. For information about how to donate just visit the Steele’s donation page.

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