He moved to Milton in 1978 as a teacher at Ulladulla High School.

Michael is well known in the district but some people may not know he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called Waldenstrm's macroglobulinemia (WM) in 2005.

"It's cancer few people have heard of as only about five people per million are diagnosed each year," Michael said.

" Because my cancer is so rare there were times when I was quite depressed because there were very few options for treatment.

"However, I decided early on to take an active role in my health care.

"This along with my cycling helped me stay positive."

He has now lived with this lymphoma for 15 years.

His journey with WM has been a bit of a roller coaster ride.

His first encounter with chemotherapy in 2011 gave him a short remission.

Subsequent attempts at chemo left him intractable to this type of treatment.

Fortunately, Michael was able to get onto the Innovate trial at Concord Hospital in 2014 for a new drug from the US called Ibrutinib.

Unlike chemotherapy, Ibrutinib is a targeted therapy and doesn't have the adverse side effects that chemo has.

He did wonder why me?

"I did ask myself why as there is virtually no history of cancer of any kind in my family here and in the Netherlands," he said.

"However, I've accepted the fact that I've got it and it's not very productive to anguish over why."

During his years of living with WM he has been able to maintain his passion for cycling.

He has participated in a number of cancer fundraising rides beginning with the MS ride from Sydney to Wollongong in 2007.

He rode at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide in 2009 where he raised money for WM research. Since then he has completed the three day 580 kilometre Smiling For Smiddy ride in Brisbane with his son Flyn in 2012 and the Lymphoma Australia's Parliament House Canberra to the Opera House Sydney ride in 2015.

Michael will be doing a 700km solo ride from Albury to Mildura this July to raise funds for the Leukemia Foundation WMozzies IWMF/LLS Strategic Roadmap campaign.

He decided on 700 km because he turned 70 in April this year.

The target on his donation page is $10000. It's up to $3890 at the moment and rising.

If you would like to support him you can donate at: https://celebrateleukaemiafoundation.everydayhero.com/au/michael-s-700km-cancer-ride

His advice to others facing their own health issues is to take an active role in the process.

"Always take an active role in your health care and treatment and always ask for a referral for a second opinion if you don't feel confident with what your doctor is doing. No doctor knows everything," he said.