For Steve Verbanic, going through cancer treatment was difficult enough. But it was nothing compared to the pain he felt watching his young son suffer during treatments for leukemia. It has been unbearable for Steve and his wife.

Yet Steve continues to remain optimistic, an attitude that helped him through treatment for a tumor in his right thigh 13 years ago. He continued working full time and played competitive beach volleyball – he refused to let cancer interfere with his life.

Now, Steve and his 5-year-old son Jackson take inspiration from Lance Armstrong and from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope™. When he heard about the Tour of Hope last year, Steve immediately went out and bought a road bike and began training and raising money for the ride.

At the 2003 Tour of Hope finale in Washington, DC, Steve was recognized as the top fundraiser and hundreds of people at the finale were moved to tears when Lance lifted Jackson up, gave him his sunglasses and rubbed his little bald head.

This year, Steve is a member of the Tour of Hope national team, and will inspire people across the country with his optimistic outlook. He wants to encourage cancer patients to learn about their disease and investigate all of their treatment options, including clinical trials. “I encourage people to get involved in their treatment plan,” he says. “I didn’t do this in my own case, but when my son was diagnosed we did research and it altered the course of his treatment.”

As he cycles his way across America with the Team, Steve says he’ll be motivated by his own experience, his sister’s death from Hodgkin’s disease and Jackson’s current struggle with cancer. “When my legs are really burning I’ll think about my 5-year-old son,” Steve says. “I won’t give up.”