This memoir have lessons that stick like plaster to my soul. The writing is honest, heartfelt and engaging. I even cried in the latter parts when he talked about how cancer radically changed him and how it defined him as a person after.
It is a story of a man who pushed through the uncertainties that engulfed him after his diagnosis, when the doctors had almost no hope for him especially when a part of the disease had spread to his brain and when the management of his team had turned its back at him leaving him with financial uncertainty.
It is the triumph of the human spirit. That even if others let you down, you shouldn’t give up and when others tell you that you can’t come back, you tell yourself you can and you will.
Lance Armstrong survived the disease and came out a different person. Once cocky, he became more matured and patient. Having suffered bouts of chemotherapy, he learned to push harder on his sport, becoming better than before. I remember reading the hours he spent training in the mountains of North Carolina to improve his bike climbing abilities. It paid off and was victorious, winning the Tour de France several times.
I’m glad to learn more about this sport, the arduous training it required and the harsh conditions each biker had to go through like barreling through pelts of rain and scorching heat in cliff-like sides of mountains while fending off other riders. I was also surprised to learn that cycling is a team sport, that there is only one rider that the team supports to win and some members of the team act like protectors to this rider. As a strategy, the other riders sometimes go after competitors who seem to break away and limit their lead so their lead rider can advance. I was also surprised to learn that Tour de France is not won by the final stretch to the finish line in Paris but by winning a great lead in various legs of the race. The one going to Paris has already won it even before going there for the ceremonies.
It is said that things happen for a reason, that sometimes tragic events can be transformed into something magnificent and inspiring. This is what happened to Lance Armstrong. The disease had not only changed and strengthened him as a person and as a cyclist, but transformed him to become an inspiration to other people who are battling the disease. He became a symbol of courage and steadfastness for them. His tenacity reminded them that like him, they too, can be triumphant and become healthy again. And whatever happens even if they lose, they gave it quite a fight and in the end, I think, that’s what really matters.
This is one memoir I won’t forget in a long time because I have personally witnessed how this disease can ravage people. I witnessed it through loved ones who have battled with this disease and have passed on. So I really admire the strength he has shown, it takes a great amount of courage and determination not to give up fighting for your life especially when the cure is almost killing you. He truly is an inspiration and a remarkable person.
