ROLLING INSPIRATION—Simi Valley resident Dennis "Denny" Warner flashes a smile for the camera as he cross the finishes line after completing a 50-mile bike ride during the Amgen "Breakaway from Cancer" charity event last weekend in Thousand Oaks. The event attracted more than 250 riders who raised more than $50,000 for Breakaway from Cancer's charitable partners. Dennis Warner won't let cancer get him down.

After enduring three types of cancer—kidney, bladder and skin—not to mention chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, the 59-year-old still manages to get back in the saddle every time his health knocks him down.

In this case, his saddle is a bicycle seat.

This past Sunday, Warner hopped into his usual seat, but the ride before him was not his typical route.

Instead, "Denny," as his friends call him, was gearing up for Breakaway from Cancer, a 50-mile charity ride through Thousand Oaks to bring awareness for cancer research.

While there was a 25mile option, the Simi resident chose the longer route, which featured steep climbs, twisting turns and fast descents.

Though he is an avid mountain biker, Warner said he found the Tour de France-style ride challenging.

"It was three and a half hours, so it was a pretty good workout," he said Monday, still exhausted from the day before. "But it was nice to see the finish line. It was the longest ride I have ever done in one day."

Beginning at the Amgen campus in T.O., the riders biked to Westlake Village and then over to Mulholland Drive to tackle the Rock Store climb.

After coming down Encinal and Decker canyons, the cyclists cruised through Hidden Valley back to the finish.

Warner's wife, Lynn, and a group of friends met him at the first rest stop in Triunfo Park waving a sign that said "Go, Denny, Go!"

"I think that meant a lot to him, to see everybody there," she said. "I knew he could do it. I'm just real proud of him."

Founded by Amgen in 2005, Breakaway from Cancer is designed to empower and support cancer patients and their caregivers. The charity ride benefits organizations such as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Stand Up to Cancer and The Wellness Community.

The Breakaway rides are a complementary component to the Amgen Tour of California, a nineday road race covering 750 miles from Sacramento to Escondido. Seventeen of the world's top professional cycling teams will kick off the fourth annual tour tomorrow.

About 250 riders participated in the Thousand Oaks event and raised more than $50,000 for Breakaway from Cancer, Amgen spokesperson Kristen Davis said.

Each rider was required to raise at least $75, but Warner blew past that number, bringing in $1,080 in three weeks.

"Originally I had set my goal at $500 and I got to $500 in about four or five days," he said. "So I raised it up to $800 and people kept coming through. I was surprised I got that much."

Warner was encouraged to sign up for the ride by friends at The Wellness Community in Westlake Village, which provides free education and support to those dealing with cancer.

Program Director Marty Nason was one of those who urged Warner to do the ride.

"He's our local hero now, not only to his support group but to the rest of The Wellness Community," she said. "For cancer patients to meet another cancer patient that has survived or gotten through treatment and is looking good or doing well gives people a lot of hope."

Warner, who joined the group a year ago, said not even rain could stop him from doing the ride and following through on the financial and emotional support his peers had given him.

"It's the least I can do to give back to The Wellness Community because it's a great group for people with cancer," he said. "Kind of shows that you're not alone."

Warner was diagnosed with renal cancer in November 2005, and the following January he had his left kidney removed. Four months later, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

"I've had nine surgeries since then," he said. "Trying to ride my bike gives me a goal, and it's three steps forward and two back, but it keeps me riding . . . so I know I'll just stay in good shape so that one of these days they'll find a cure."

Still a parttime mechanical engineer for Pratt & Whitney, Warner spends his days riding local trails with friends. Since he has just one kidney, he follows a Mediterranean diet and exercises often. This dedication to health has surprising benefits.

"Being as old as I am, it's nice to beat kids up the hill half my age," said Warner, who has four kids of his own.

Fortunately, Warner has been cancerfree for six months. Unfortunately, he can't celebrate because bladder cancer has a tendency to return. Lynn Warner said it is discouraging at times but they have adopted a positive attitude to get through.

"There's a choice of just kind of giving up and crawling into a hole, and we haven't been that way at all," she said. "We've just tried to be proactive."

Warner agreed.

"I think the mountain biking has given me a nice goal, like, 'Hey, I gotta get through this next surgery because I have a big ride coming up' or 'I want to get back with my friends,'" he said. "And I'm not going to let something like that get me down anyway. I think if you think positive, that's half the battle."