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Building Character
Lance Armstrong
~ “Tour de Lance” ~
There are many components that are woven together to form the DNA of any given individual’s character. In studying people of strong character, it is not unusual, however, to find one or more of those components that clearly overshadow and outdistance the others. For Lance Armstrong, that component list is topped by perseverance, courage, and commitment. As mindboggling as the accomplishments of this world class cyclist and cancer survivor are, understanding the long road he traveled makes his story that much more impressive. Though Lance is widely known for his 7 consecutive Tour de France titles beginning in 1999, his was far from being an overnight success story.
In 1987, Lance technically became a professional tri-athlete, however, it was swimming that was his concentration at that time. In 1989, he shifted his focus to cycling, qualified to train with the U.S. Olympic Development Team, and competed in the Junior World Championships in Moscow. By 1991, he was the U.S. National Amateur Champion.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Lance finished 14th in the individual road race. Upon completing the Olympics, he signed with a professional cycling team, Motorola, and finished last in his first professional race, the Classico San Sebastian. A year later, he captured 10 racing titles including the U.S. Pro Championship and the 8th stage of the Tour de France (TdF). Now at age 22, he was the youngest ever road racing cycling champion.
By 1995 and still without a TdF victory, he was named the Velo News American Male Cyclist of the year, won the 18th stage of the TdF, and was the first American to win the Classico San Sebastian.
Ranked the number one cyclist in the world in 1996 and a member of the U.S. Olympic cycling team, he began coughing up blood in after his 25th birthday. On October 2, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had also spread to his brain and lungs. The next day, he had surgery to remove a testicle – he was given a slim chance of surviving more than a year. Undeterred, Armstrong underwent extensive chemotherapy in battling the cancer. Remarkably, he defeated the cancer enough to return to the sport he loved.
In 1997, Lance returned to racing and also formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation, providing information and support for cancer survivors. After winning the Tour de Luxembourg in the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfarht in Germany, and the Cascade Classic in Oregon, he captured the first of his 7 consecutive Tour de France victories in 1999.
Speaking of how cancer had affected him, he surprised many by saying “…Without the illness, I would never have been forced to re-evaluate my life and my career. I know if I had not had cancer, I would not have won the Tour de France” – quite the twist of fate – and what an outstanding example of character!
For more information about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, visit www.livestrong.org.
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