Lance Armstrong – It’s Not About The Bike
Last modified: May 11, 2010The following synopsis is from
www.borders.com.au
It’s Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life
‘I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at seventy-five miles per hour! I want to cross one last finish line as my wife, and ten children applaud, and then I want to lie down in a field of those famous French sunflowers and gracefully expire; the perfect contradiction to my once anticipated poignant early demise.’
A slow death is not for me. I don’t do anything slow, not even breathe.’In 1996 twentyfour year old Lance Armstrong was ranked the number one cyclist in the world. But that October, the Golden Boy of American cycling was sidelined by advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His chance for recovery was as low as 20%. Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available and underwent surgery – including brain surgery – to remove cancer that the treatments could not reach. 5 months after his diagnosis he resumed training under a cloud of uncertainty. Armstrong returned to competitive cycle racing in 1998 when the United States Postal Service team invited him to join them, and from there he trained himself to victory in the Tour de France in 1999.
Although scarred physically and emotionally, Lance Armstrong considered his cancer a ‘wake-up call’, one that crystallised for him the blessings of good health, family, friends and marriage. Since 1996, he has dedicated himself to fighting cancer and supporting the cancer community, establishing an educational and fundraising foundation in his home town of Austin, Texas.This is the story of a journey, from inauspicious beginnings through triumph, tragedy, transformation and transcendence. Filled with the physical, emotional and spiritual details of his recovery, ‘It’s Not About the Bike’ traces the remarkable journey of this great athlete to a singularly inspiring appreciation of life lived to the fullest.
Lance is one of my heroes, not just because of his sporting achievements but for his attitude. There are a lot of talented sportspeople in the world who are successful because of their talent alone. Others are successful because of their determination and attitude, those are the athletes I love. Lance takes it to a whole new level by surviving a public fight with cancer and then winning a record 7 tour de france’s. He has a foundation that has raised tens of millions and he is raising the awareness of cancer. I admire his mission and how he is using his passion and competitive nature on the bike to do other great things with his life.
This book is for everyone and talks little on cycling and more on the journey. Lance has other books, but this is his story.