If you're one of those people who believe that as long as you're active and healthy then you don't need to worry about cancer: colon cancer survivor Bill Milligan would like a word with you.

As a father of two grown sons, one very active 12-year-old boy scout and husband to a woman who runs with him in half marathons, Bill takes being fit to a whole new level. He is an active hiker, mountain biker and long-distance cyclist. For the past five years he has participated in the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT), a 400-plus mile, six-day ride that criss-crosses the state.

And even though he works in the medical field servicing medical equipment – Saint Thomas Health docs are among his biggest customers – cancer wasn't something he gave much thought to. That is until he had a routine physical that included a colonoscopy.

"Fortunately they found the cancer early enough that all I had to do was have the surgery," he says. "The cancer was removed and that's all."

He is matter-of-fact about the procedure and his recovery. Bill credits early detection, the staff at Baptist Hospital and his surgeon, Dr. William Harb, with the successful outcome of his surgery. But, as an active member of Hendersonville First Baptist Church, he also recognizes that there may have been other forces at work and is grateful for the prayers that his congregation and others made on his behalf.

"The whole staff was wonderful," he says. "I was treated well and had no problems. Baptist is one of the top notch hospitals around."

Of course, for a fitness fan like Bill, complete recovery also means that he is able to get right back into his regular routine. And he did. Six weeks after his surgery and only two days after Dr. Harb released him to regular exercise, Bill and his wife Cyndi crossed the finish line together in the 2008 Country Music Half Marathon. It was, he says, a moment that he will never forget.