The 2 part documentary, Lance, tells the story of how Lance Armstrong rose to prominence in the cycling world and became a household name and then fell from grace after the doping controversy. It was an eye opening documentary and although this may be an unpopular opinion, I think Lance Armstrong is a hero for what he achieved and overcame in his career.
Much like a lot of other sporting greats, There was something special about lance from an early age. At the age of 15 he was competing and more than holding his own in triathlon competitions with fully grown men. From there he focused his talents on just cycling, he competed with olympians and excelled. After making so many waves and earning numerous accolades in America, He decided to conquer the world by winning the UCI world road championships in 1993. This was his biggest achievement to date but it was a precursor for what was to follow in his career. He would go on to win several national and European accolades over the next few years.
In October 1996, Lance faced his biggest and hardest battle. He was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, his doctors gave him very little of surviving but he overcame all the odds and by February 1997, he was declared cancer free. This triumph over cancer would be a catalyst for another of Armstrong’s great achievements. He started the Lance Armstrong Foundation in a bid to raise awareness for those affected by cancer. The foundation has gone on to raise half a billion dollars.
Once he was fully recovered, Armstrong went back to full time training with the goal of competing in the Tour de France race. The Tour de France is the world’s most prestigious cycling race, it’s a race where 22 teams of 9 enter and cover a distance of 3,500km over 21 days. Each day there will be a new stage to complete and The winner is the cyclist who can complete the most stages in the shortest amount of time. Between 1999 – 2005, he would go on to win the Tour de France every single year. A truly remarkable sporting comeback story.
I understand how easy it is to call Lance Armstrong a cheat for the doping controversies but you can’t discount his athleticism, his winning mentality, his battling spirit to overcome a debilitating disease like cancer and then not only comeback but winning amongst the elite. Let’s not forget the incredible work he has done for charity over the years. Lance Armstrong has inspired a lot of people in and out of cycling over the last 30 years and for that he is a hero.