Four months ago, Luigi Laraia was diagnosed with leukemia. In less than three weeks, he will attempt to cycle across America, riding more than 4,000 miles from his home in Washington DC to Vancouver.

Laraia will attempt to ride 120 miles a day for 35 days, passing through 12 states before arriving in Canada.

The 37-year-old decided to make the trip to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Laraia will set off, alone, on 26 July, just three months after receiving chemotherapy.

"I had some minor discomfort in my abdomen and I went to see a doctor," Laraia said.

"After the general assessment he suggested I take blood tests, which I did, and all the counts were a bit suspicious."

Laraia, an economist at World Bank Group, was then diagnosed with leukemia, prompting a "period of disbelief and anger".

"I've always been extremely healthy in my life, always done sport, never smoked or anything, there's no history of leukemia in my family. So, basically, it was a bomb. It still is, to some extent."

Laraia underwent chemotherapy in April, losing 10kg and being hospitalised because of the procedure's side effects. He was ill for weeks before the side effects lessened, although he is still suffering from aches and pains. Eventually, in May, Laraia was told by his doctor that he could return to exercising, although he would likely have been weakened by the weeks of inactivity.

It was then that he decided to cycle from Washington DC to Vancouver.

"My family thought I was crazy," he said. "It took me some time to explain to them what I wanted to do, but now they understand the passion and the motivation, so they are all behind it.

"Of course, they're concerned about my health – [and] whether it's going to take a toll or not – but they are all behind it."

Laraia, a keen cyclist who pedalled from Washington to the Grand Canyon in 2010, will start his journey on 26 July, and aim to arrive in Vancouver on 3 September. From DC, his route passes through Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, continuing on across the midwest and west before crossing the Canadian border in Washington state.

Staying in hotels and hostels, Laraia will have no support team, cycling alone with just one change of clothes to conserve weight and energy. One luxury item will be a small laptop, enabling him to write about each day's ride for his blog.

Laraia hopes to raise $10,000, but also to "raise awareness that anyone's life can be turned upside down".

"I'm not trying to be a hero," he said. "I'm just trying to show you can achieve great things in desperate times."