Eight Iowans are back home in the metro tonight after spending last week racing across the country on bicycles ocean to ocean. The group competed inthe Race Across America, known as RAAM,not asprofessional athletes but as cancer survivors.

Their13thplace finish out of18 teams isa testament that cancer is not the end of the road.

The Above and Beyond Cancer team crossed the finish line in Maryland on Saturday to cheers and supporters. They got the same treatment Tuesday night in West Des Moines.

"I'm just so thrilled that I was able to do this!" Drennan Fischer is aRAGBRAI veteran, a mother of two, and a breast cancer survivor. She was one of eight team members who biked3,000 miles coast to coast.

When she first found out about RAAM, she was inspired to do it for herself and others.

"Hopefully, seeing that someone like me can do something like this and so close to when I was diagnosed, maybe they can take that next step to try to do something they want to do."

Gail Endres feels the same way. The 66-year-old is the oldest team member, an adventurer, and a prostate cancer survivor. He said he's lost too many to cancer.

"You think cancer should be in control by now. Hopefully with organizations like this we can bring focus to that and do some real good things," Endres said.

The riders hope people will help in any way they can to find a cure for cancer while keeping the mantra Endres said smiling, "Each day is precious. It's a great day to be alive!"

Above and Beyond Cancer is the same group that took cancer survivors up Mount Kilimanjaro last year.

The obvious question is what's next for the group? They will take on another climb, this time up a sacred mountain in the Himalayas.