It’s not about the bike
March 24, 2006 | 12:00am
I was maneuvering my way through the crowd, trying not to get wine on my dress, listening to yet another introduction by fellow students in my course. I was groggy from the activities older residents at our dorm made us go though the night before, and I didn’t feel like engaging in a technical discussion on finance and statistics-related matters. Part of me was missing life as an art student in Greece, and when I heard someone mention that he had just come from a six-month stint in Europe and was actually from a non-mathematical-related background, I sighed in relief that the group might actually be more diverse than initially expected. Turns out, this guy named Bede (took me two whole hours to realize that it wasn’t Bean) was a cyclist and had just spent his past year touring in Europe. A cyclist! Happy, happy, joy, joy!
In retrospect, this whole obsession might actually seem quite absurd. I bike, but I’m not an avid cyclist. I follow the Tour de France, but that’s about the only cycling competition I’ve seen in completion. I’m just…a huge Lance Armstrong fan. Despite allegations of drug use, of cheating on his wife and fiancée (Sigh, I was so looking forward to an Armstrong-Crow wedding!), and all the other news gossipmongers have managed to raise, I continue to wear his trademark yellow and spout the motto "Live Strong." Whatever one might think of him, Armstrong’s story is undoubtedly a tale paralleled by few.
In a sea of crappy memoirs written by numerous artists, politicians and sportsmen, Armstrong’s own accounts of his life, It’s Not About The Bike. My Journey Back to Life and sequel Every Second Counts stand out as inspiring reads. My brother and I have copies even in our iPods, and his words have helped keep me sane in many grueling moments. "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." Often heard, yes, but not from someone who’s been through the depths of hell and has risen far beyond his wildest dreams.
In a country fixated on the B-sports of badminton, boxing and basketball, the Tour de France is not a commonly followed event. But suffice to say, winning the Tour de France is no small feat. The Tour de France is by far the most prestigious of all cycling competitions in the world and is also the world’s largest annual pro sporting event, measured in the number of viewers. The Tour de France is a grueling long-distance bicycle race which has 20 stages, held over three weeks, covering over 2,000 miles (3,300 km) through three countries (Germany, Luxembourg and France.) Racers have to battle the summer heat, long climbs through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, and the taunting and teasing from spectators.
The Tour has been held annually since 1903, interrupted only by World War I and World War II. It is a race that measures true strength and determination; a race which has brought many sportsmen to their knees and even some to their deaths. In Armstrong’s own words, "This is not Disneyland, or Hollywood. I’ll give you an example: I’ve read that I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don’t fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else. I had learned what it means to ride in the Tour de France. It’s not about the bike. It’s a metaphor for life, not only the longest race in the world but also the most exalting and heartbreaking and potentially tragic. It poses every conceivable element to the rider and more. During our lives we’re faced with so many elements as well, we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and have a little hope. The Tour isn’t just a bike race, it tests you mentally, physically, and even morally."
For those unfamiliar with the man except for the fact that he initiated the whole Nike wristband fad that swept the millions of people worldwide, there’s far more to Lance Armstrong than his claim to fame as a record seven-time winner of the Tour de France. Armstrong, in many occasions named Sportsman of the Year, has not just revolutionized the world of cycling, but also the world of cancer – the disease which came so close to killing him.
Armstrong began his sporting career as a triathlete, competing in adult competitions from the age of 16. But it soon became clear that his greatest talent was as a bicycle racer. On Oct. 2, 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer that had metastasized, spreading to his lungs and brain. Cancer. A force so fear-imposing that often leaves survivors sapped of strength and with little will to live. Armstrong, defying his own death sentence, is living proof that one can live a full life through a combination of faith and suffering. Cancer is evil. It kills, but sometimes, miracles occur, and it can bring rebirth.
Doctors told Armstrong that he had about a 40 percent chance of survival. After his recovery, one of his doctors told him that his actual odds of survival had been considerably smaller (one even went as far as to say three percent), and that he had been given the estimate primarily to give him hope. On October 18, 2001, five years after being diagnosed with cancer, Armstrong received a clean bill of health. "If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell."
October 2 was eventually commemorated by Armstrong and Nike, through the "10//2" line of merchandise. One dollar from the sale of each piece of "10//2" merchandise is donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded in 1997. The summer of 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation in collaboration with Nike developed the Livestrong wristband. The band was part of the Wear Yellow Live Strong educational program, intended to support cancer victims and survivors and to raise awareness about cancer. Yellow was chosen for its importance in professional cycling, especially as the color of famed leader’s yellow jersey of the Tour de France. As of January 2006, over 58 million Livestrong wristbands have been sold.
Armstrong’s consecutive wins have pushed some to go to the lengths to try and prove that there is something in Lance Armstrong’s genetic makeup that makes him superhuman. National Geographic News, in an article last year, stated some findings of a certain Ed Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. "Armstrong clearly has some great genetic advantages. His oversized heart can beat over 200 times a minute and thus pump an extraordinarily large volume of blood and oxygen to his legs. His VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen his lungs can take in, an important measurement for an endurance athlete – is extremely high. But other elite athletes have similarly powerful hearts and lungs. Instead, Coyle says, smarter training may have contributed to giving Armstrong an edge over his competitors. It’s a combination that’s made Armstrong a rarity among men, but still just a man."
Genetically, Armstrong might just be a man, but he has the spirit of superman. It is always rewarding to cheer for an underdog and watch him shine after battling the odds. Even now in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s retirement, I continue to relive his story. For as he himself claimed, it’s not just about the bike. It’s hoping against hope, believing in the extraordinary. Especially in rough times such as these, we need all the positivity we can get. "I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days or great days." Viva La Lance!
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In retrospect, this whole obsession might actually seem quite absurd. I bike, but I’m not an avid cyclist. I follow the Tour de France, but that’s about the only cycling competition I’ve seen in completion. I’m just…a huge Lance Armstrong fan. Despite allegations of drug use, of cheating on his wife and fiancée (Sigh, I was so looking forward to an Armstrong-Crow wedding!), and all the other news gossipmongers have managed to raise, I continue to wear his trademark yellow and spout the motto "Live Strong." Whatever one might think of him, Armstrong’s story is undoubtedly a tale paralleled by few.
In a sea of crappy memoirs written by numerous artists, politicians and sportsmen, Armstrong’s own accounts of his life, It’s Not About The Bike. My Journey Back to Life and sequel Every Second Counts stand out as inspiring reads. My brother and I have copies even in our iPods, and his words have helped keep me sane in many grueling moments. "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." Often heard, yes, but not from someone who’s been through the depths of hell and has risen far beyond his wildest dreams.
In a country fixated on the B-sports of badminton, boxing and basketball, the Tour de France is not a commonly followed event. But suffice to say, winning the Tour de France is no small feat. The Tour de France is by far the most prestigious of all cycling competitions in the world and is also the world’s largest annual pro sporting event, measured in the number of viewers. The Tour de France is a grueling long-distance bicycle race which has 20 stages, held over three weeks, covering over 2,000 miles (3,300 km) through three countries (Germany, Luxembourg and France.) Racers have to battle the summer heat, long climbs through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, and the taunting and teasing from spectators.
The Tour has been held annually since 1903, interrupted only by World War I and World War II. It is a race that measures true strength and determination; a race which has brought many sportsmen to their knees and even some to their deaths. In Armstrong’s own words, "This is not Disneyland, or Hollywood. I’ll give you an example: I’ve read that I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don’t fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else. I had learned what it means to ride in the Tour de France. It’s not about the bike. It’s a metaphor for life, not only the longest race in the world but also the most exalting and heartbreaking and potentially tragic. It poses every conceivable element to the rider and more. During our lives we’re faced with so many elements as well, we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and have a little hope. The Tour isn’t just a bike race, it tests you mentally, physically, and even morally."
For those unfamiliar with the man except for the fact that he initiated the whole Nike wristband fad that swept the millions of people worldwide, there’s far more to Lance Armstrong than his claim to fame as a record seven-time winner of the Tour de France. Armstrong, in many occasions named Sportsman of the Year, has not just revolutionized the world of cycling, but also the world of cancer – the disease which came so close to killing him.
Armstrong began his sporting career as a triathlete, competing in adult competitions from the age of 16. But it soon became clear that his greatest talent was as a bicycle racer. On Oct. 2, 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer that had metastasized, spreading to his lungs and brain. Cancer. A force so fear-imposing that often leaves survivors sapped of strength and with little will to live. Armstrong, defying his own death sentence, is living proof that one can live a full life through a combination of faith and suffering. Cancer is evil. It kills, but sometimes, miracles occur, and it can bring rebirth.
Doctors told Armstrong that he had about a 40 percent chance of survival. After his recovery, one of his doctors told him that his actual odds of survival had been considerably smaller (one even went as far as to say three percent), and that he had been given the estimate primarily to give him hope. On October 18, 2001, five years after being diagnosed with cancer, Armstrong received a clean bill of health. "If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell."
October 2 was eventually commemorated by Armstrong and Nike, through the "10//2" line of merchandise. One dollar from the sale of each piece of "10//2" merchandise is donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded in 1997. The summer of 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation in collaboration with Nike developed the Livestrong wristband. The band was part of the Wear Yellow Live Strong educational program, intended to support cancer victims and survivors and to raise awareness about cancer. Yellow was chosen for its importance in professional cycling, especially as the color of famed leader’s yellow jersey of the Tour de France. As of January 2006, over 58 million Livestrong wristbands have been sold.
Armstrong’s consecutive wins have pushed some to go to the lengths to try and prove that there is something in Lance Armstrong’s genetic makeup that makes him superhuman. National Geographic News, in an article last year, stated some findings of a certain Ed Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. "Armstrong clearly has some great genetic advantages. His oversized heart can beat over 200 times a minute and thus pump an extraordinarily large volume of blood and oxygen to his legs. His VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen his lungs can take in, an important measurement for an endurance athlete – is extremely high. But other elite athletes have similarly powerful hearts and lungs. Instead, Coyle says, smarter training may have contributed to giving Armstrong an edge over his competitors. It’s a combination that’s made Armstrong a rarity among men, but still just a man."
Genetically, Armstrong might just be a man, but he has the spirit of superman. It is always rewarding to cheer for an underdog and watch him shine after battling the odds. Even now in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s retirement, I continue to relive his story. For as he himself claimed, it’s not just about the bike. It’s hoping against hope, believing in the extraordinary. Especially in rough times such as these, we need all the positivity we can get. "I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days or great days." Viva La Lance!
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