Messenger of hope
By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun
The way many people see it, those who grind through the world's longest and oldest bike race suffer tremendously every day.
Lance Armstrong knows differently.
"I'll never suffer like I did in 1996," said arguably the world's most famous cancer survivor.
"But it's the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Without it, I never would have won the Tour de France.
"It was a gift. When you get cancer, you can survive or thrive. And I've been fortunate to thrive."
Told seven years ago his chances of surviving advanced testicular, lung and brain cancer boiled down to a coin toss, the 32-year-old Texan not only beat the odds but used the exercise to become the world's most dominant athlete in one of the most gruelling sports.
"Cancer has given me an unfair advantage -- winning the first four Tour de Frances was easy, actually," said the 2002 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, making his first Canadian appearance in Calgary last night.
"This year wasn't so easy. I had to think about 1996 and overcoming things I never thought I could. I had to check notes on the things I learned in '96."
In those notes, he recalls the looks of pity on people's faces as they saw him in the hospital and the doctors who told him he had slim chances of winning his fight for life.
Reading French journalists this summer who suggested he wouldn't be able to hold off his competitors in France sparked the same fighting spirit he had in his hospital bed and the chemo ward.
"I was told that before and I wouldn't stand for that," said the proud father of three.
"That was the lesson I learned in '96 and I used it."
Like the dangers that lurk around every turn of every road he's ever raced on, Armstrong knows the cancer that once ravaged his body could return at any time.
"I guess my chances of getting sick are higher than the average 32-year-old guy -- I have to know that," said Armstrong.
"But if I said I'm worried about that today, I'd be lying. I don't think much about it. It's been seven years and my doctors are confident they got everything and I'm healthy now. I'm content with that and I'm confident they're right."
You don't have to be a cycling fan to appreciate the courage, dedication and accomplishments of Lance Armstrong.
You just have to be human.
Arguably the most incredible athlete alive, it was his battle with cancer that makes the five-time Tour de France winner so special, so revered. However, perhaps what's most impressive is the way he has parlayed both accomplishments to inspire us all with a message that has raised tens of millions of dollars for cancer research, not to mention the hopes of cancer patients and their families all over the world.
"I consider myself first and foremost a cancer survivor and not an athlete or cyclist," said Armstrong, whose Beyond Courage speech at the Hyatt Regency raised $1.3 million for local cancer research.
"Cycling for me will go away in a year or two, which is fine. But my passion as a cancer survivor will last the rest of my life. I feel like it's my responsibility to tell the story from the beginning. Before I won the Tour, not many people paid attention or listened. But now I have an opportunity to tell it to a bigger audience around the world and I'm committed to that."
Like the title of his first best-selling book suggests, it's not about the bike. He sees cycling as a metaphor for life -- that is, there are bound to be bumps in the road and plenty of uphill battles that can all be overcome.
His message to cancer patients extends far beyond the obvious "don't give up." He encourages patients to be "junior cancer students," exploring options and never being content with simply accepting standard care.
In his autobiography, he points out: "Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever."
Something Lance Armstrong brought to Calgary last night will also last forever -- hope.
Something he spreads faster than his legs could ever pedal.
