Famous Survivor: Lance Armstrong

The day after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I stopped off at my local bookstore on my way out of town for the holidays. I was scared out of my mind and wanted to re-read Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life."

As a bicyclist, I had read his book when it first came out and was inspired by Armstrong's incredible story of triumph over cancer. But this time I needed to read it to find courage and hope for my own fight that I was about to undertake.

In 1996, Lance Armstrong was the #1 ranked cyclist in the world, had competed in the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. Cycling team, and had just signed a contract to race with the French-based Cofidis racing team.

Then in October, 1996, tests revealed that Armstrong had advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs, abdomen, and brain.

After surgery, he and his physician decided to try an experimental cancer treatment. Armstrong was looking for an alternative to the prescribed testicular cancer chemo cocktail due to the potential lung damage that sometimes occured with the standard treatment. It was a tough several weeks, but he was eventually successful and emerged cancer-free.

Lance has been quoted as saying, "Cancer if the best thing that ever happened to me." The Lance Armstrong Foundation was formed within months of his diagnosis to help others with their cancer struggles.

In 1999, Lance came back to the competitive cycling world with a vengeance winning the first of a record-breaking seven consecutive Tour de France races.

In the December 3, 2001 Forbes magazine, Armstrong explains, "Without cancer, I never would have won a single Tour de France. Cancer taught me a plan for more purposeful living, and that in turn taught me how to train and to win more purposefully. It taught me that pain has a reason, and that sometimes the experience of losing things - whether health or a car or an old sense of self - has its own value in the scheme of life. Pain and loss are great enhancers."

In 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation partnered with Nike to create the LIVESTRONG yellow wristbands, thus creating a movement about hope, empowerment, and control over your life and your health. In addition to providing tools for people battling cancer, the www.livestrong.com web site has expanded to include fitness, nutrition, and life-balance tips for anyone looking to better their lives.

For more information about Lance Armstrong and his foundation, go to www.lancearmstrong.com.

Suellen Germani is a Life Coach and Professional Organzer. For more information about her coaching services, please go to www.creativeorder.com.