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Lance Armstrong

In: People

Submitted By ketchum2012
Words 695
Pages 3
*** *******
Mark ****
English 109
21, September 2013

Topic: My topic was write about someone you looked up to, and if there was a time they disappointed your or not. I found this topic browsing through google, and decided to write about one of my idols who disappointed a lot of us.

Problems: Errors with grammar, and punctuation.

Nothing is worse than dealing with a fallen hero. When someone who was highly looked up to and respected is found guilty of cheating, feelings run high. My essay is in response to numerous articles on Lance Armstrong’s use of performance enhancing drugs. In January of 2013, in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He also admitted to using other illegal methods to win the Tour De France (Stanley). Before his confession he was already stripped of all his medals, won from the Tour De France. He was also banned from competitive professional cycling for life, and was dismissed from his charity organization, Livestrong, founded by him in 1997 (MacLaggan).
Who is Lance Armstrong? Lance Armstrong is a well-known biker famous for his major success in the professional cycling world. Lance was born September, 18, 1971. He did his first triathlon at age 16, and joined professional cycling in 1992. He first cycled for the Motorola Professional Cycling Team. In 1996 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that eventually spread to his lungs and brain. However after intense chemotherapy and other treatment, he was announced cancer free in 1997. Lance was the winner of seven consecutive Tour De France titles. Unfortunately he didn’t win them honestly. How does this affect me? Lance Armstrong was on my very short list of heroes and people I looked up to. I was a strong believer in his philosophy that hard work and dedication makes champions, not just talent. I was never a talented athlete, but I made up for it with hard work. Just because of my unusual success I’ve also been accused and tested for steroid use. Being accused of cheating when you’ve worked hard and competed fairly makes you feel like you didn’t earn what you received. I spent dozens of hours a week in the weight room, running, and practicing skills for both track and football. I had a lot of success in my track career, and it came very early because of my dedication and hard work.
Lance Armstrong was someone I looked up to, a real champion in my eyes. Before the Federal and United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation Lance was a champion of seven consecutive Tour De France titles. He was accused of steroid use before but lack of evidence and no prior failed drug test resulted in the accusations being dropped. “I have never doped. I can say it again, but I've said it for seven years” – Lance Armstrong August 2005. He also quoted “I have been through 600 drug tests” “none of them have been positive”. Lance continued to deny any use of performance enhancing drugs up until January 2013.
Not only was Lance an athlete, but he was also an author, cancer survivor, and chairman of his charity Livestrong. His fans were devastated when the truth came fourth. I can imagine his competitors also felt cheated, as they were not competing against a fair athlete. As for me, I now have doubts that someone can win something like the Tour De France, as many as seven times, without cheating. He is no longer on my list of idols. His sponsors included Radio Shack, Nike, and The U.S. Postal Service. He was dropped from there sponsorship.
We can all learn a lesson from Mr. Armstrong’s mistakes. Not only does cheating hurt you, but your fans, competitors, teammates, and sponsors. Hopefully a new champion will rise. Someone that proves you don’t need to cheat in order to achieve greatness. Until then we are stuck with the disappointment of a fallen athlete.
Work Cited
Mcmillan, Stephen. "Lance Armstrong's Doping Denials." Guardian (2013): n.pag. Web. 18 JAN 2013.
Corrie, MacLaggan.“Exclusive: Livestrong cancer charity drops Lance Armstrong name from title". Chicago Tribune. JAN2013.

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