A Tribute to Cycling Legend Lance Armstrong

talents and at the same time was his way to escape the jaws of poverty when he was still young.

On September 18, 1971, a bouncing baby boy in the name of Lance Armstrong was born to a poverty-stricken parents. Linda, Armstrong's ever supportive mother, despite the struggles they are experiencing never waver in supporting his drive and passion for cycling. At a young age of 13 Armstrong started to compete in the grueling triathlon events. His courage and desire to win steered him to stirring victories in triathlon events he competed in. When Lance was 16 years old, a test conducted on him would reveal that he has superhuman abilities that is not common to anybody, a distinct edge that gave him the much-needed lift in whatever competition he is entered. His lungs were superb enough to absorb oxygen two times greater than that of an average man. This translate to more muscle power as his body can generate lower levels of lactic acid even when his lungs burn and legs ache as his body becomes tired. With this attributes not common to anybody else, Armstrong prodigious ascend to National fame was inevitable. In 1988 he captured the National Rookie of the Year in a spring triathlon. When Armstrong was a senior student in high school he was a part of the United States' National Cycling Team that competed in the Moscow Junior World Championship. Series of startling successes followed one after the other from then on. In August 1993, Armstrong clinched the World Race Championship in Oslo, Norway and became the youngest ever to win the tiresome race at the age of 22. Two years after Armstrong, he copped the Tour Du Pont in smashng fashion as he won the event with the biggest margin over his closest pursuer.

When Armstrong reached the age of 25, he bought his dream house located in the Banks of Lake Austin and the same time earned for himself a lucrative $2.5 million contract at Cutidis, a French race team. Armstrong was indeed at the summit of his illustrous career, and with world titles tucked at his belt he is poised to cruise through more triumphs in the years ahead of him.

Armstrong with his enormous energy and unparalleled bravery in the sports of cycling saw him break many records. Additionally, he managed to conquer many dangerous mountain ascends, and jagged terrains aboard his bike. But Armstrong never knew that a different uphill battle awaits him, this time not about a travail on paved roads but with the greatest race of his life which is racing against a dreaded cancer. Armstrong's (testicular) cancer was on its advance stages when it was detected, in other words, the cancer already spread all over his body including to his lungs and brains. Alas, Armstrong was given a slim 40% chance of overcoming the deadly disease. Armstrong's dear life hangs on the balance and he never expected that he could ride on his bike again. But Armstrong's heart of champion enables him to wage war against his formidable adversary. Instead of losing hope, he instead became stronger when the challenge seems insurmountable, he became even more of a positive thinker even the odds is stucked against him. Indeed Armstrong was a great person, a living persona with great determination and hope even during the time when a dreaded disease loomed to strip him of his precious life.

Following his mother's heed not to be a negative thinker, Armstrong decided to give the best performance of his life, that is, to outsprint and outlast cancer with sheer guts and not wavering fighting spirit.

Armstrong studied cancer and chemotherapy, and devise ways to somehow overcome them. Armstrong's hard work seemed rewarding, though, as he unravelled potential cures to his woes and sufferings. Armstrong discovered a traditional chemotherapy (Beomycin treatment) but later discard this because of the potential threat it offers especially to his lungs, which is a vital organ nn his cycling career, but instead selected another treatment but a more aggressive type. The procedure will take a lot of time and could also be painful, but then, his lungs will be safe and and if ever he survives, he can still ride again. The ploy worked well for him. Armstrong's will to survive was indeed inspiring and even heartwarming as light at the end of the tunnel begin to surface. A year later Armstrong again for the nth time traversed his way to the finish line this time he outfoxed the dreaded cancer disease that almost claimed his life.

Truly remarkable and a great news to sports aficionados, thanks to a miracle, the consummate and gritty cycling hero, Lance Armstrong was pronounced healthy and was given a clean bill of health by his doctors. In 1999, showing no ill-effects of his fight against cancer, Armstrong cruise his way to sterling win in the prestigious Tour De France. The lung busting tour that spans to about a treacherous 3,600 kilometer in distance and requires ample endurance and uncanny strategies and even with tactics. A cyclist entered here must negotiate his way in each lap's finish line, by first overcoming cold and biting winds, exhausting mountain climbs and deadly zig-zags with immense stamina and strength. This feat unleashed by Armstrong was indeed fascinating.

In 2000, Armstrong proved no one is as strong as him as he again outperformed everybody in the field to nail another Tour De France title. A year later he conquered, again the French alps en route to his seventh overall victory in the Tour De France, which is an unprecedented world record.

Armstrong doesn't only sports courage and winning form, but was also endowed with a big heart worthy of given due accolades and recognitions. His Lance Armstrong Foundation was erected under his auspices whilst undergoing chemotherapy. The objective of this worthwhile endeavor is to spread cancer awareness all across America and even to the whole world. His yellow Live Strong Band was one of the fruitful campaign yielded by the foundation. Throngs of followers from all walks of life joined hand and hand to support Armstrong's campaign against cancer. The profits generated from the band which was then pegged at $10 per 10 pieces went to the foundation. In 2005, a whopping 50 million of these bands was sold and the figure is still counting.

Lance Armstrong is not only superhuman when it come to his incredible ability to traverse and overcome various roads, but also turned out to be a true survivor by escaping cancer unscathed, a true sporting hero that gives immense inspiration to many and a true individual who is cinched to make a difference in people's lives with his compassion.

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