Supporting Lance Armstrong

I have always supported Lance Armstrong. It has been tough at times, but I believed in him. Lance was someone I looked up to. I admired his determination, his will, his work ethic, his resilience, his winning mentality. Yes, I knew his flaws. I knew he was arrogant. I knew he was cocky. I knew those things and I didn't care. From one cancer survivor to another, I admired him. He left cancer in his past and leaped forward becoming the best athlete he had ever been. In many ways he was actually a better athlete, he was a better cyclist. That always amazed me.

That's what I wanted to do as well. His book, "It's Not About the Bike" was one of the most influential books I've ever read. I read it when I was in and out of radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Lance was also in the midst of winning his 3rd Tour de France at that time. It inspired me to aim high once I was finished with treatments. I know other cancer patients felt the same way towards Lance. It's a bond that was, and still is, strong for me. It may be somewhat imaginary, but it’s real to me.

So when I watched the interview last night, I was unsure how I would feel. I was nervous for him. I continued to root for him to have good answers. I was surprised at how disappointed I felt as the interview went along. I felt so many emotions, good and bad. I didn’t know how to feel. I work with many high school student-athletes and have the privilege to help mentor them to become better people. How can I possibly support someone that disregarded so many people? That’s not what high character people do. Everything I believed in with Lance Armstrong was a sham.

It was, partially. His Tour De France titles, his denial of performance enhancing drugs, his cycling career, that part of Lance Armstrong was. As he talked through his interview, I started to realize how flawed he is. He stated it several times himself. What he did was awful. His defiant approach to being clean was arrogant and unquestionably wrong. No excuses.

After all of that, I’m still rooting for Lance Armstrong. I’m giving him a second chance to prove me right. I believe in people and I believe in forgiveness. Even with athletes who are held to a higher standard of living because of their influence. What Lance Armstrong has done with the Livestrong foundation trumps everything for me. He has to truly care about people to work relentlessly for a cure even after he is considered cured. He is no longer fighting for himself, he is fighting for others. He has been the single most impactful person in history when it comes to fighting for a cure for cancer. You can’t fake that.  After all, actions speak louder than words.  Since the inception of the Livestrong foundation, the non-profit organization has raised $470 million. They provide support in cancer education, funding treatments for less fortunate, building awareness of rare cancers, leading the way in advocacy with our government, among many other causes. Lance has led that the way the entire time, until he recently stepped down in light of the recent events.

Lance Armstrong knows comeback stories better than anyone.  I’m rooting for Lance to grow from this experience by learning from his mistakes and becoming a better man. I'm hoping some day he can lead the way again for Livestrong. I think Lance is learning that his ability to impact lives is not about the bike. It never has been.