Lance Armstrong Research Paper

Hero to zero. I only need three words to describe this man. Once he was a determined, amazing and inspiring man. But now it turns out he is nothing more than a lying, cheating bully. Lance Armstrong. The man who inspired me and motivated me to achieve my goals and dreams, has been lying to us all. Ever since I was very young, he was my hero. I cheered him on for all his cycling races. I even did my most inspiring person project on him. But while watching the now infamous Oprah Winfrey interview I realised that everything I had ever believed in was fake. After being diagnosed with cancer on 2nd of October 1996, Lance Armstrong became a fighter, he had less than a forty percent chance of survival. The cancer had spread to his lungs, lymph
nodes, abdomen and brain and he began to realise that if he wanted the best for himself he would have to fight for it and never give up no matter what. From here on many fans and athletes thought of him as an inspiring, and determined human being. His “win at all costs attitude” resulted in him becoming free of cancer in December 1996. The following year Lance Armstrong set up the Lance Armstrong foundation to benefit cancer research and patients.
He soon went on to win seven consecutive Tour de Frances between the years of 1999 and 2005. Some critics suggested that his wins were not just from blood, sweat and tears but to me he was a man that claimed everything is possible. He was an inspiration to thousands of cancer patients who believed that they could do what he did, if they just had enough will
power. However, we were naïve. He fooled us all. After having confessed to taking drugs for all of his Tour de France wins many fans lost hope that someone could be at the top of their sport without taking drugs. Nowadays, if you are a top athlete, people believe that you must have been taking performance enhancing drugs. At the Australian Open on Saturday, Roger Federer said Armstrong's admission has affected all of sport and the world's athletes. One man did this, one man took away the trust and ruined a sense of hope for all other athletes and fans. As it turns out, he did not only take the winning chances away from hundreds of other athletes but he was also a bully to his fellow competitors and teammates.
A total of twenty six people, including eleven of his former teammates testified against Lance Armstrong. Tyler Hamilton rode with Armstrong from 1998 to 2001 and was one of the 11 team mates to testify. Hamilton’s statement included a detailed statement about the complex team doping program including the drug use and blood transfusion, which Lance Armstrong sometimes set up in hotel rooms. Hamilton also wrote a book called “The secret Race” and said that Armstrong gave him EPO which is a hormone that increases red blood cell count and therefore athletic performance. After Hamilton began competing with the case he was aggressively approached at a restaurant in 2011 by Lance Armstrong who told him that he was “going to make [his] life a living f---ing...
hell." Lance Armstrong’s actions have had huge effects on his fans, family, athletes and his team mates. Not only did he ruin his legacy but he also ruined the sport of cycling for thousands of people. Lance Armstrong was one of many that believed that to be the best he had to lie to everyone, take drugs and be a bully, resulting in him losing his sponsors, his charity and his fans. Lance Armstrong, the man who was once everyone’s hero, has turned out to be a big, fat zero.