Lance Armstrong

September 18, 2012

---

On this date in 1971, Lance Armstrong was born in Plano, Texas. Lance won an Iron Kids triathlon at age 13 and by age 16 was a professional triathlete. He underwent grueling training during his senior year to enter the Olympics. Lance won the U.S. National Amateur Championship (cycling) in 1991, and remained an amateur competitor through the 1992 Olympic Barcelona games. He took 10 titles in 1993. Lance won the 1995 Tour du Pont and became the first American to win the Classico San Sebastian. At age 25, Lance, then the number-one ranked cyclist in the world, was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain. Five months after the diagnosis, following two surgeries, including brain, and aggressive chemotherapy, Lance was back on his bike. Soon after, he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation to benefit cancer research, promote early detection, and help cancer survivors. Running with the U.S. Postal Service pro cycling team, Lance captured headlines and captivated spectators around the world by winning his first Tour de France in 1999. With his 2005 victory, Lance became a 7-time winner of the Tour de France. Through it all, Lance relied on his own "deep well of reserves and the unconditional support of family and friends" (Lance Armstrong official website), not religion. "I hoped hard, I wished hard, but I didn't pray" (It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, 2000). The superstar competitor is considered one of the strongest athletes in the world.

“I don't have anything against organized religion per se. We all need something in our lives. I personally just have not accepted that belief. But I'm one of the few.”

— Lance Armstrong, Time, Sept. 29, 2003

Compiled by Annie Laurie Gaylor - www.ffrf.org