Lance Armstrong essays

Lance Armstrong essays Its mid summer, a steamy 80-100 degrees farenheit, 15-35 mile per hour winds blow across the flatlands and mountains of one of the worlds most beautiful countries, France. 189 men, riding $5000 bicycles embark on a journey which will cover the flat lands of the north, and the treacherous mountain passes of the Pyrenean and Alpine mountain ranges of the south, totaling 3282 kilometers with only 2 rest days, each stage averaging 164 kilometers, for 22 days the race will be shaped by crashes, attacks, clash of wills and the struggle to be #1. For many, the race started on July 6 2002. But for one man, the race for his life began in the fall of 1996. A talented young racer, Lance Armstrong, was coming into form after winning the world championships and having his first taste of success in The Tour de France by winning stage 18. By October, the racing season was winding down and Lance was preparing for 5-7 hour days he would spend on the bike during the winter. Little did he know that his body was being destroyed by a ravenous disease which spreads like a wild fire, Cancer. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and his malignant testical was removed in a few days. Doctors then discovered, that due to the stages in which his cancer was in, it had spread to his lungs and his brain. Within 2 weeks, Lance had gone through brain surgery, testicular surgery, and was given a 50-50 chance of having a full recovery, which doctors later told him was extremely optimistic, realistically Lance had about a %20 chance of fully recovering. He underwent the strongest forms of chemotherapy which broke down all the fitness he had worked fo r, but he remained optimistic and after results were being seen he had dreams of returning to the sport he loved. 5 months after his diagnoses, Lance was back on his bike. Lances dedication was like never before, nearly 15lbs lighter than his pre-cancer form, he began to work on his mountain climbin...