The Legacy Of Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong is one of the best cyclist there is. He was in many races over the world. He has won many awards in many races. He also had many companies sponsoring him. But all that was taken away and his reputation was ruined when he was caught doping.

I chose to write an essay about the “Topic of Cancer” by Christopher Hitchens. In this short autobiographical essay, Hitchens discusses his experience with Esophageal cancer. Just one day after lanching his book “Hitch-22” Hitchens was made aware of his illness, where he later describes the news as “taking me from the country of well, to the stark frontier.” It was then he chose to write about his experience for the purpose of documenting the changes that he, and his body were about to go through with chemotherapy, and also for the purpose of contemplating his current situation. The reason that I chose this story is because of my own personal experiences that I have had with many loved ones in my life. There is one case in particular that stands out in my memory, among the rest. It was when my friend of many years discovered that he had a very rare form of brain cancer. Soon after undergoing chemotherapy, he lost his battle. There are many people that believe chemotherapy at any stage is the best, and often times, the only way to cure cancer, yet others claim that chemotherapy is not the answer at all. A close analysis of recent statistics can settle this debate.

Joel Naftelberg has endured an emotional roller coaster most of us cannot even begin to comprehend. In 2015, he learned he had cancer in his pancreas and liver. Following treatment, his medical team declared him cancer free. However, just 45 days later, he was told his cancer had returned and was more aggressive than ever. While the journey has been difficult, Joel continues to fight on, facing his disease and the financial wreckage they have brought into his life.

Many people can relate to his personal battle with cancer and his dedication to cancer research. His speech was full of emotion. He gave examples of his anguish during a seven-day stay before the awards ceremony, explaining his liver complications, kidney failure, and multiple surgeries. This provided the audience with real life experiences to understand the depth of what this award stands for.

Steroids have for years been associated with cheating. Though long ago it was common practice for athletes and bodybuilders to use them in order to have an edge in order to become the best, that perception has fallen away along with the careers of many famous athletes. Today the negative connotation associated with using steroids is stronger than ever before. The most recent scandal involved the allegations that world famous cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven time consecutive winner of the Tour de France, used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong later admitted to using them and was promptly banned from participating in cycling events as well as stripped of his awards.

Throughout life, obstacles are thrown on the path that one is walking on, and its up to them how they overcome these obstacles. In Lance Armstrong’s book, “It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life”, Armstrong tells of his years prior to his diagnosis and battle of cancer and how he overcame his struggles. He states, “Good, strong people get cancer, and they do all the right things to beat it, and they still die.” (Armstrong 12). Life is short, and the strongest people who put up the biggest fight still seem to loose.

Greg Thomas, a 57-year-old man from Minnesota, was avidly searching for a miracle after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Thomas was given only months to live after doctors determined he had stage four cancer in his head and neck. Doctors even went as far as to tell his family to start planning his funeral. Even though he didn't have much strength, Thomas liked to deal with the stress of his illness by walking his dog.

I first learned about this topic on a television show I watch called Hawaii 5-O. The episode had a group of athletes that were blood doping in order to win bicycling races and to get a leg up on escaping the police after robbing their targets. It briefly explained what the group was doing, and why it made them have better stamina and bettered their athletic abilities. Then when Lance Armstrong was accused of many different types of performance enhancing drugs, he admitted to using blood doping among other techniques. He used the method of blood doping that utilizes EPO, which is a hormone that is produced in the kidney for RBC production. He was stripped of all the Tour de France titles in his possession and the bronze medal he won in the Olympics.

LIVESTRONG was founded in 1996 when Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer. The foundation at the time was known as “The Lance Armstrong Foundation”. From then on they would not only help people affected by cancer, but other people in need; In 2005 they would grant a total of $500,000 to the survivors of hurricane Katrina. LIVESTRONG would also launch its famous wristband

This changed his lifestyle quite a bit, and he also tried to help other people with the same disease. After he

It also showed the consequences of cheating as he was stripped of his Tour de France wins. I believe that doping isn’t acceptable, especially in cycling. I feel like the people who legitimately train hard to be professional cyclers are being cheated, and I feel like the sport needs to be taken more seriously since many people believe that many cyclers are doping. Cycling is a great sport that takes years of training to be a professional, so I believe that if the UCI and the Tour de France committees take the sport more seriously than before, the sport could be more enjoyable for everyone

When it comes down to it he took steroids and testosterone and because of it won seven consecutive Tour De Frances. He won his first in 1999 and won every year up to and including 2005. He had been accused of drugs many times but every time he blatantly lied and said he had never taken any illegal substances. There had been many investigations and many old teammates planned to testify against him. But he kept pleading innocent. On August 24, 2012, the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Association) stripped him of his seven Tour wins and all honours won between 1999 and 2005 and they banned him from sport for life. He then came out in an interview with Oprah about all his past drug uses. This is totally unacceptable and is sending unacceptable messages to children as celebrities or sportspeople influence them a lot when they are young. He is influencing them that drugs are okay and that lying is acceptable. Therefore it is clear that Lance Armstrong is an appalling role model as he promotes lying and drug

In 1996, at the age of 25 Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. He educated himself about the cancer and its treatment. While combating with cancer he recognized the resources available for people combatting this cancer were very less. Therefore, he created a foundation with the purpose of helping others who are diagnosed with cancer. It is a non-profit organization.

There is a long standing belief in the United States that is called the “American Dream”, what that means is that if you want something bad enough and you are willing to work, then “it” can be yours someday. Working towards a better life, both Columbus and Armstrong were born into working class families. Columbus was the son of a middle class wool weaver Domenico Colombo. The exact date and location of Columbus’ birth are disputed to this day. In his younger years, Columbus helped his father operate a cheese stand which his father owned. Like Columbus, Neil Armstrong was born into a middle class family. Armstrong’s father was Stephen Armstrong, who worked for the state of Ohio as an Auditor. Armstrong was born on August 5th, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Armstrong was an American hero, he battled cancer, beat it and came back to prove himself as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Lance had won 7 Tour de France within his career and founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation. He was what we pictured when we pictured a fighter, an American hero. Armstrong has shown us his blood, sweat and tears, had built not only the credibility but the goodwill. In the blink of an eye, all of it was gone. It was revealed that Armstrong had been taking performance enhancements to win his races. In one day he had lost 8 sponsorships, he had built his relationships on being a winner, a fighter, accomplishing things no ordinary person could. Admitting to lying to the world meant his credibility vanished. How can you stand behind a man who can’t tell the