Special

LIVE LANCE: The Man, The Movement & The Mantra

by Drex Earle, Ph.D. & Erin Smith

Here are a few of the things he had to say:

“[All the Tour wins] are special, they’re all different; some of them I felt better than others. Looking back, the first one was incredibly surprising for me and one that I cherished because it was at the time I thought it was something I might never repeat. The third one in 2001 is what I still view as my strongest year so it sticks out. This one is easily special because I broke a record and made cycling history. It’s odd but I view the tour differently now. Last year I was trying to finish number five, but I was already thinking about number six, and if I said I was sitting hear thinking about number seven I would be lying to you. Number seven is not an obsession like number six was.”

“I think Austin is such a great city, though it’s not the same city that it was 15, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago. When cities grow, the quality of riding starts to diminish. So, we’ve seen that happen in Austin because when I moved here 15, 16 years ago you could get out of town in 15 minutes, but now it takes you maybe a good hour. So, sometimes the riding suffers a little, but the main thing is the drivers are good. They are very respectful. It’s a good city for mountain biking, in fact, sometimes at home I’ve done more mountain biking than road biking.”

“It’s definitely not about riding as long as I can…I don’t want to do that. I think I have another year or two in me. When I said I’ll do it another year or two that’s not just a random number, that’s what I think my body can stand. You know if you asked me that question 12 months ago after the Tour that I suffered through last year, clearly my skills are diminishing and my strength is diminishing and I better start to find an exit here. But this year I proved to myself and to my rivals and to some other people that questioned it…that I’m as strong as ever and as motivated as ever.”

“I think that perhaps all of the great champions are always a bit insecure about their abilities and their condition. I always have to remind myself that perhaps I’m not doing the right thing, I’m not training hard enough or I’m not motivated enough and that there’s somebody else out there doing something more and wanting it more. And I play that mind game with myself all the time. So I get asked all the time, what’s more important: the physical skills or the mental ones. Clearly you need both. Mentally, you need not just the motivation to wake up, but the motivation to work hard everyday. That’s what I try to take to my sport.”

Lance with Young Cancer Surviviors

Imran Zaman DOB: 11.6.96

Will Ross DOB: 4.21.92

Mark Staehley DOB: 12.7.87 and Children’s Memorial Hospital stem cell unit nurse Julia O’Malley-Stepenske

Photos courtesy of the LAF

For the past few months, little glimpses of yellow have dotted our landscape, flashing under shirtsleeves, bumping into watches, emerging as unlikely fashion statements — bright yellow wristbands, with a simple message about a complicated, diverse and far-reaching problem.
Whether worn as a sign of celebration of Lance Armstrong’s record sixth Tour de France victory, or in support of the cause he champions, the predominance of signature yellow “Live Strong” bracelets testifies to Armstrong’s extraordinary ability to inspire us.

This rare ability has undoubtedly touched millions of lives worldwide, as “Live Strong” has become as much a mantra to the masses as a pure definition of the man that inspired it. “Lance,” as he is fondly referred to around the world, is not only a competitive world-class athlete, but also a courageous and triumphant cancer survivor who never seems to give up.

Therefore in Austin, the beautiful city that Armstrong calls home, it would have seemed a bit inappropriate not to have a Tour de France craze that was noticeably intense. Self-scheduling professionals were known to take mornings off in order to stay glued to their T.V. sets for stage coverage, and the real-time interactive features on the Web kept many an Austin workplace apprised of the action. What’s more, “Viva Lance” could be found spray-painted on the pavement and plated on the backs of diehard fans throughout Austin, while bike shops around town fueled the fascination with regular Tour de France viewings.

Having spent the last eight years battling a disease that nearly claimed his life, Armstrong has managed to transcend the sport of cycling in an entirely different way. Leveraging iconic notoriety to advance his philanthropic mission, he has become an inspiration to people everywhere, not just cancer patients or cycling enthusiasts. And ironically, at the end of the day, Armstrong appears to be a normal guy: a caring father, friend and role model who loves his job and feels blessed to be in the position he’s in.

“This is still a job I love,” he says. “My kids seeing me getting dressed, they think I’m going out on a fun bike ride. It’s a joke to me that way, to go out and actually work.”

Of course his style of riding is no exception to the “Live Strong” rule. Armstrong is not a sprinter — although he can jump out of the saddle and haul with the best of them — his expertise lies in discipline, patience, extreme concentration and sheer will to overcome obstacles that make most people cringe. This signature will of steel, while apparent from the beginning of his cycling career, was tested in the crucible of cancer when, at the young age of 25, he was diagnosed with the testicular form of the disease. Typically a condition with a high cure rate if caught early, by the time Armstrong received medical attention his case had advanced significantly, metastasizing to his brain, abdomen and lungs. Faced with a relatively bleak prognosis, he enlisted oncology experts around the country and decided to undergo an aggressive treatment strategy from October to December of 1996, during which time he also formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). When asked how important his mental focus was during the recovery, he emphasizes the empowerment of proper medical treatment.

“I think [mental strength] is important, but I still think the most important thing is finding the best care and being confident that you have the best care, because once you get to that point then you can be very strong. At least speaking from experience, I was pretty strong mentally knowing that, in my opinion, I was at the mecca for testicular cancer.”

Upon returning from radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Armstrong quickly began one of the most memorable comebacks in sporting history. Beginning with his first Tour de France victory in 1999, he ascended to the top of his field and finally captured an unprecedented sixth Tour victory this year, an accomplishment unrivaled in the sport and one which places him squarely amidst history’s best cyclists.
In spite of his amazing comeback, and perhaps in many ways also because of it, Armstrong has faced allegations of doping for years — something he has steadfastly respnded to by simply pointing to his record.

“Well, both of those things have almost been around the same amount of time. I was diagnosed almost eight years ago and it’s been obviously a very interesting eight years — the allegations started very soon thereafter. I’ve not done the Tour de France where I’ve not been accused of breaking the rules. But yet I’m still here. And the thing is that I’ve been at the top level of pro cycling for 13 years. I think the people that take the shortcuts — they’re not around for 13 years at the highest level.”

To meet the man, in light of the worldwide phenomenon he has become, can be a disarming experience. Confident and self-assured, there is a comforting humility about his persona; one that produces an aura of kinship, a real sense that he is in fact just like the rest of us, thrilled to be alive and deeply inspired by a connection to his family, his friends and his fans. In fact, when asked about Austin’s recent homecoming celebration in his honor, he chose to emphasize the greatness of his home city, while politely turning the spotlight away from himself:

“It’s odd for me because I’m a little uncomfortable in these situations when you have big groups of people. Sometimes it’s tough to be the guy everybody came out to celebrate. But this is my home, it’s a place I think is one of the finest communities in America. It’s a great place to live. It’s great place to raise kids. It’s a great place to ride a bike.”

Armstrong has likewise turned the media spotlight generated by his ground-breaking tour victory away from himself and towards his other passion: cancer survivorship. While his sixth Tour de France effort clearly served as a lightning rod, dominating water cooler conversations and happy hour get-togethers, Armstrong had the foresight to channel that energy and excitement into a much longer, broader battle. A battle which he believes is not only necessary, but more importantly, winnable.

Seemingly always attuned to the bigger picture, Armstrong, through the non-profit that is his namesake, harnessed the excitement surrounding his athletic achievement into a means of raising both awareness and funds for those living with cancer. Sales of the now-ubiquitous “Live Strong” bracelets brought in more than $5 million from the LAF Web site alone, an amazing achievement in and of itself. More impressive, however, is the fact that July donations more than doubled between 2003 and 2004 and daily sign-ups for the Peloton Project, LAF’s grassroots volunteer and fundraising force, have more than tripled since the end of this year’s Tour. This unprecedented public attention and funding windfall of course begs the question: what exactly does the LAF do, both for cancer survivors and the general public?

Through the Foundation, Armstrong spurs others forward on the battle against cancer with the same fiery intensity that pushed him through the French Alps. And just as Armstrong maintains a measured, no-nonsense approach to competing, the LAF maintains a fiercely pro-active stance with regard to cancer. Their objective is to arm the newly-diagnosed as well as the ten-year cancer survivor with practical approaches, advice and options for living with the disease. In the words of their mission statement, LAF is founded on the principals that “information is power” and “knowledge is strength,” sentiments that echo throughout the Foundation’s work in cancer survivorship advocacy, education, public health initiatives (national and local) and research.

While the Foundation has been integral on a number of different fronts regarding cancer, their central theme is not necessarily to conquer it. Instead, the LAF chooses to emphasize living WITH and BEYOND cancer, and has recently drawn national attention for its foregrounding of cancer survivorship, as well as a myriad of issues that confront survivors in their everyday lives.

So, what exactly is cancer survivorship? And how does it differ from the models our medical establishment used to understand and fight cancer in the past?

For many years now, prevention and cure have been the main emphases of cancer researchers. Despite the fact that many of the treatments for cancer are more debilitating to the patient than the cancer itself, a majority of approaches aimed to completely eradicate the disease had severe side effects, like chemotherapy-induced sickness and decreased quality of life, which even until recently, were considered unavoidable. However, with a population of cancer survivors now approaching the 10 million mark in America alone, and with the majority of those (almost two-thirds) living at least five years beyond their initial diagnosis, a new area of research and emphasis has emerged, namely, how to best treat and serve survivors.

As Michelle Milford, spokesperson for the LAF notes, “Several things have surfaced as major issues for survivors. Fear of recurrence is number one among them. While cancer may leave your body it never leaves your mind. We assure survivors that through education and awareness they can take control of their life and learn to live with the uncertainty that cancer brings.” Furthermore, she says, “I think some people living with cancer are concerned with trying to find a way to again focus on the quality of life issue as opposed to survival length. Fear that you will have a shorter life can distract you from the life that you deserve to and can have, regardless of the length.”

These ramifications of new thinking reach into all aspects of survivors’ lives: for example, how to plan economically, how to contain the disease versus eliminating it altogether and how to deal with the reality of living beyond it. The LAF is dedicated to helping survivors through all the practical issues that add up to daily life. For those living with cancer, they have created an online resource center, www.livestrong.com, which divides information into easily-accessible categories. The section devoted to physical issues discusses the side effects of various cancer treatments and offers suggestions for handling and combating them, as well as pointing visitors to additional resources. The other sections, which chronicle emotional and practical issues, are arranged in a similar way. Furthermore, the Web site offers survivors a tool kit to assist them in talking with doctors, charting their medicines and treatments, maintaining a health journal and organizing their finances.

Though the Foundation is dedicated to assisting survivors, they are equally committed to educating policy makers and the public about cancer survivorship. For this reason, the LAF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined together to design and promote a National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship, called “Advancing Public Health Strategies.” The plan outlines how the public health community can more effectively treat people living with cancer, with the primary goal being the improvement of survivors’ quality of life. The plan also emphasizes four main areas of action: the prevention of secondary cancers and recurrence whenever possible, appropriate management of the disease post-diagnosis to maximize the number of healthy years for a cancer survivor, minimization of pain (physical, emotional and social) and building support structures for cancer survivors as they access resources needed to cope with the disease.
While the National Action Plan has enjoyed great media attention as a result of the CDC’s involvement and Lance’s recent victory, the Foundation is also playing an integral role in seeing its mission codified into law. Both The National Cancer Act (S.1899) and The Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act (H.R. 2986/S. 1496) would establish grants for research and quality of life programs if approved. Both of these LAF-supported bills are awaiting review by the Senate Health Committee.

When asked about their status, Milford was upbeat, “With the current session of Congress coming to a close and the impending election, we understand that passage is unlikely this year. We are hopeful that these bills will be considered during the next session of Congress,” she says.

In the face of such a vast and complex disease, the LAF offers practical responses, for all survivors; those who have been diagnosed with cancer and their spouses, children and friends whose lives have been changed by the cancer of a loved one. Most importantly, and very much in the spirit of their indomitable namesake, they emphasize hope, progress and give people the tools with which to face a seemingly overwhelming obstacle. In each of their publications, throughout all of their materials and emblazoned on every wristband sold, there is a simple message, as applicable to those living with cancer as those without: “Live Strong.”

Granted Austin plays a unique role and bears a heightened responsibility in promoting our hometown hero and the cause he champions. However, according to Armstrong, the fight for survivorship can be undertaken by anyone, anywhere. And in his view, one of the first and most critical steps to advancing cancer survivorship is simply getting the word out so that people start thinking about it:

“The average person can continue to think about [cancer]. I think the illness has grown old in the minds and eyes of many people, not just everyday citizens, but also the people that make decisions. And so for me, and for us at the foundation, we want this illness to once again become a priority in America. And it should be. If you look at the upcoming election, and you look at what they talk about, they never talk about cancer. But it’s the number one fear of all Americans. So we just have to keep it out there. And that’s the great thing about the Tour because once again we have this opportunity to tell that story. Yes, it’s a guy who wins a bike race, but forever it will always be a cancer survivor who wins a bike race, and wins a hard bike race.”

So, instead of toasting his sixth tour victory alone, we should toast his ongoing ride, and the inspiration he’s given to so many people climbing similar mountains.