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Lance Armstrong Bio – Sports News History |
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Perhaps the unbelievable accomplishment of winning seven consecutive Tour de France races is easy to believe considering Lance Armstrong’s background.
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Raised in a broken home with a mother who divorced four times, Armstrong is no stranger to overcoming difficulties. Armstrong, as an adolescent, trained diligently for grueling hours upon hours as a budding running, swimming and bicycle racing athlete.
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The ultimate test in his life came Oct. 2, 1996.
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That is when Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The cancer spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. Doctors gave Armstrong a 50 percent chance to survive.
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Armstrong, who turns 36 on Sept. 18, was successfully treated for the testicular cancer through castration. He underwent surgery to remove the brain tumors. The drug treatment on his lungs has proven to be a success to this point.
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His cancer has been in remission for nearly a decade. Rather than take a deep breath and rest from his health issues, Armstrong pushed himself even further. Three years after being informed of his cancer, Armstrong won the first of seven straight Tour de France races.
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His triumphs in bicycling are an example of the way Armstrong has persevered since he was a child. Overcoming all the stages of the Tour de France, and being on top at the end, relates to how he overcame challenges to become one of the world’s most successful athletes.
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Armstrong’s life will be a blockbuster movie someday, considering these elements:
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- His mother was 16 when she became pregnant with Armstrong in 1971. They have a very close relationship. His mother says they “grew up together.” Armstrong never had a true father figure. His birth father left his mother when Armstrong was 2. Armstrong has permanently disconnected himself from his birth father and his first stepfather (of whom Armstrong’s last name comes from).
- Less than a year after being diagnosed with cancer, Armstrong met his first wife, Kristin Richard. The couple, which divorced five years after their 1998 marriage, has three kids: Luke, born in October 1999, and twins Isabelle and Grace, born in November 2001. The couple cited irreconcilable differences, mostly because Armstrong was hardly in one place because of his growing celebrity status and public demands for cancer awareness.
- Two years after his divorce in 2005, Armstrong announced he was engaged to singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow. However, only five months later, Crow and Armstrong announced their split. Shortly after the breakup, Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer, which devastated Armstrong considering his battle with cancer.
- Also heavy on Armstrong’s mind at the time were allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs. Books and newspapers published in Europe insinuated that Armstrong tried to cover needle marks on his arms and that a former teammate accused Armstrong of using illegal drugs. Armstrong levied lawsuits against each party that made an accusation and he was never found to be guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
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Although on the surface it seems Armstrong’s life is like a dream with his championships and celebrity status, he has not come close to having an easy existence. Undergoing extensive chemotherapy after his diagnosis in 1996, and working to become stronger afterward, is testament alone that Armstrong has a strong resolve to keep his life on track.
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Now in his post-cycling career, Armstrong is not slowing down. He announced earlier this year that he is training to run in the New York City marathon in November.
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All the while, Armstrong is spearheading an effort to battle cancer with his Livestrong cancer-awareness campaign. The effort is symbolized with yellow wristbands. When he won his last Tour de France in 2005, the Paris streets were shined bright with thousands of fans wearing the yellow Livestrong wristbands.
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Armstrong is outspoken about federal funding for cancer research, or lack thereof. He argues about millions spent a day on the war in Iraq when the budget for the National Cancer Institution is $4 billion as a whole. He makes it clear to politicians in Washington, D.C., that citizens are more afraid about cancer than terrorism.
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Such talk has created the assumption that Armstrong will tackle a political career when his athletic endeavors come to an end. He laughs off rumors that he will someday run for governor of Texas, saying that he wants to concentrate more on his kids and his battle against cancer.
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One thing is for sure: If Armstrong runs for office, no one will doubt his chances. Cancer has a formidable opponent in Armstrong. It makes you wonder if a higher being was sending a message with the word “Strong” in Armstrong’s last name.
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Thank you to Javier Morales for this “Lance Armstrong MVP” article.
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