Lance Armstrong - international hero

If his life began to write a script, then the film would be removed in the classical genre of melodrama: a deadly disease sick athlete who gives high hopes. Lance Armstrong had very little chance of winning over cancer. Meanwhile, he was able not only to improve his health, but also resumed playing sports, as a result of taking the main award.

His sports career, Lance Armstrong began in the city of Plano, Texas. Lance showed his talent early enough, and my mother in all possible ways supported in his son a competitive spirit. Being a 13-year-old child, he won the children's triathlon, and at the age of 16 was already a real professional.

In school years, he trains with the national cycling team in the city of Colorado Springs. He easily achieves success in cycling at the amateur level: in 1989, Lance Edward Armstrong is the world champion among boys in Moscow. After 2 years, Armstrong wins the United States championship amateur level, and soon turns into professional sports.

In 1996, the best cyclist of the world performs at the Olympic Games, while joining the United States team, and also signs a contract with the Cofidis team from France. And in the beginning of October Lance Armstrong experienced a serious shock. Cancer - this diagnosis was diagnosed by doctors. Later, after a huge number of tests, it became known that the disease struck even the brain and lungs. Lance did not give up and overcame the disease.

And although he went through chemotherapy and surgery, which caused him emotional and psychological trauma, he is glad that this happened to him. Thanks to cancer, he thought about things more important than just bicycle racing. Lance founded a charitable organization - the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which is fighting cancer.

Absolute recovery of Lance seemed magic, and his intentions to resume participation in cycling competitions were considered impossible. Cofidis terminates the contract with him, and he is a member of the new US Postal Service team that pays the athlete $ 200,000 each year.

In 1998, Armstrong wins several minor races, and a year later at the Tour de France shows the highest average speed of movement - 40.2 km. He wins the championship title. Lance Armstrong becomes an international hero. After that, he wins the Tour de France 5 times and gets a lot of sports prizes.

The Armstrong Foundation is becoming one of the most influential organizations involved in charity. In 2000, the athlete released an autobiographical book "It's not about the bike." After 2 years, Sports Illustrated magazine named him the sportsman of the year. Armstrong and his former wife, Christine Richard, have three children: a boy and two twin girls.

Lance Armstrong and his wife divorced in 2003. At the moment, cycling meets with the popular singer Cheryl Crow. The Lance Armstrong Foundation was established to fund research in the field of cancer treatment. This organization sold almost 31 million yellow bracelets, which began to symbolize the fight against cancer. Wearing these bracelets was almost a fashion.