Live Strong

       As competition in the sports world in America becomes more competitive, athletes frequently turn to steroids as a way to remain at the top of their game. As more information emerges about professional football and baseball players drug use, now the accomplishments of another set of athletes is called into question. As most of you probably know, it has recently been confirmed that Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs in just about every competition he has participated in. This has obviously changed many peoples views of Lance as both a world class athlete and a role model.     

      While Lance Armstrong has definitely experienced a fall from grace, one of his accomplishments remains intact. The Lance Armstrong foundation (Livestrong) has made "an unrivaled commitment to improving the lives of cancer patients in America and around the world." When Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he took a very public stand on raising awareness for cancer patients. He also focused on what life was like after surviving a life threatening illness. During the course of his career, Lance and his foundation reached out to numerous patients and became a great source of information and motivation. They were encouraged to seek second opinions and to become partners with their cancer teams. In short, many people took a more active role in their treatment as a result of what they learned through the Livestrong network. This foundation has raised $500 million over the past 15 years and has provided leadership and funding that has effected patients and their families in the development of strategies to ease the lives of people dealing with cancer. Dr. Lawrence Shulman of the Dana-Farber cancer institute states that he has worked with Lance and the foundation for almost 10 years. As he states, "There is much more to Lance than his bike, and cancer patients everywhere know this in a very personal way"(3). While I was disappointed in Lances drug use as anyone else, I still recognize his positive contribution to the lives of so many people through his foundation. Does the fact that Lance has changed the lives of so many cancer patients effect the way you view him, even in the face of his athletic disgrace? To read more on this topic visit: http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/11/03/defense-lance-armstrong/gLoFAr4aRAfOajXWxZUdoL/story.html