Lance Armstrong's extraordinary ride

On October 2, 1996, Lance Armstrong, arguably the best cyclist the world has ever seen, was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized, spreading to his lungs and brain. His doctors told him that he had about a 40 percent chance of survival. They lied. In actual fact, one of his doctors told him after his recovery, his odds of making it were closer to three percent - they provided the higher estimate primarily to give him hope. Armstrong on the cover of Sports Illustrated shortly before the 2005 Tour de France. Armstrong underwent surgery to remove his right testicle and two brain lesions. He was also prescribed a course of chemotherapy, to be performed at Indiana University School of Medicine. Standard chemotherapy for the type of cancer that Armstrong had would have meant the end of his cycling career, because a known side effect was a dramatic reduction in lung function. He looked at his options, then chose a more severe treatment that was less likely to result in lung damage. While in remission Armstrong resumed training, but his cycling contract had in the meantime been cancelled by his Cofidis team. He was eventually signed by the newly formed United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, and by 1998, he was able to make his successful return in the cycling world marked by his fourth place overall finish in the Vuelta a Espaņa. Most athletes might have accepted that a return to the height of their prowess was unlikely after going through something like this. Not Armstrong. The next year, he won the sport's most prestigious road race, the gruelling Tour de France, for the first time. The next year, he did it again. And then again. He went on to win the race a record seven consecutive times, before finally retiring from the sport in 2005. His success prompted some to nickname the event the "Tour de Lance." In 2002, Sports Illustrated magazine named Armstrong their Sportsman of the Year. He was also named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, received ESPN's ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality Award in 2003. His athletic success and his dramatic recovery from cancer inspired Armstrong to commemorate his accomplishments in conjunction with Nike through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charity founded in 1997. Together with Nike he launched the high-end cycling clothing collection 10/2 referring to the day he was diagnosed with cancer. One dollar from the sale of each piece of "10//2" merchandise is donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. During the summer of 2004, the foundation (with initial funding from 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. The band sold in packs of 10, 100, and 1200 as part of an effort to raise $5 million for the foundation. Individual bands sold for only US$1 each. 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 has also lent his name to Nike's newest line of footwear, all branded with the familiar "Live Strong" yellow. Armstrong, a member of the President's Cancer Panel since 2002, has been fighting for additional funding to help find a cure for the disease. "Funding is tough to come by these days," he says. "The biggest downside to a war in Iraq is what you could do with that money. What does a war in Iraq cost a week? A billion? Maybe a billion a day? The budget for the National Cancer Institute is four billion. That has to change. It needs to become a priority again." Armstrong has hinted he intends to become involved in politics as an activist for change in cancer policies. His Foundation is becoming more involved in lobbying on behalf of cancer patients before Congress, and Armstrong himself has said that he hopes to model his efforts in the area of cancer in much the same manner as U2's Bono has done on behalf of poverty, AIDS, and hunger. "We're at an interesting time in medical research. That would be a serious rush for me if I could effect change there," he says. He also realizes that battles involving politics and money could be much more difficult than anything he faced on the bike. He figures he won't being doing it alone, though, noting the 60 million "LiveStrong" yellow bracelets the foundation has sold since 2004. "I know not all 60 million bought them because of a connection to cancer, but a lot of them did," he said. "When you consider that army, there's a powerful force for change.