The pictures with the BOSU® Balance Trainer attracted my attention and caused me to pause in my feed; however, what captivated me wasn't the allure of the shiny blue but rather the description of who was using the BOSU. If you haven’t recognized him yet, I’ll reveal who the hunky-looking guy in the picture is. This is Lance Armstrong. Caught in the act of training.
Granted this tantalizing piece of information came from an article that was posted a year before the whole debacle with Armstrong blew up. Otherwise it might not have been as casually written. And granted even people that dope have to train if they want to compete at top levels. If I or my neighbor engaged in performance enhancing activities we might get a leg up on the other neighbors, but I am convinced that neither one of us would be able to cycle around France. Even though it is hard to escape the irony, it isn’t that I’m surprised by the fact that there exists photographic evidence of him training at all.
What got my attention and caused me to sit back and ruminate were the feelings of disappointment that resurfaced.
Everybody loves the story of the underdog. Especially in America, our ability to identify with and root for the underdog is a part of our DNA. Our history began when a small group of pilgrims left an established country to start a new one. Triumphant stories born out of the Great Depression era were noticed by inquisitive film producers and some, like Sea Biscuit and Cinderella Man, made it to the big screen in front of throngs of adoring moviegoers. Our news has been peppered with political figures like Nelson Mandela and athletes like Gabby Douglas who have overcome the odds to surpass rivals that were initially favored by society to be more successful. The world loved Lance Armstrong not just for surviving a bout with cancer but for persisting and driving his athletic career to where he became one of the most successful cyclists in the world.
It is a hard fall when you find out that somebody that you closely identified with had another side.
It has been two years since Lance Armstrong tumbled from hero to antihero. His charity foundation, Livestrong, severed his ties and he found that sponsors and their endless pots of gold directly correlate to the ratings of your media image. You have those who will be forever infuriated by his actions and you have those writing books and quietly nudging that the issue of doping in cycling was and is bigger than Lance Armstrong. The Tour de France is nearing its 101st finish and radio talk show hosts and other sports commentators are still throwing around Armstrong’s name as the prime example when discussing the connection between cycling and its drug culture.
It has also recently been revealed that there might be outlets for him to reconnect in some manner with Livestrong. If that isn’t an option, he wants to start another foundation.
This undoubtedly will evoke varying responses. I think about the distaste that still surfaces whenever I recall Lance Armstrong, much like the instance when he showed up in my newsfeed. The thing is, Armstrong is moving forward with his life. It might be time that I stop expecting more and acknowledge that, even though the loss of his mansion, fortune and world titles haven’t rendered a less arrogant Armstrong stooping to proffer the world a more genuine apology, I can accept what happened and move on. While the inherent drug culture should by all means continue to attract attention and actions that will change it, I can accept that Lance Armstrong isn’t the athlete I and the world thought him to be. But if he has genuine interest and desire to move forward and make his mark by impacting those fighting with cancer and other cancer survivors, he should go ahead and do so. He might have failed his athletic career, but he still won life.
Don’t lose heart. The underdogs are still out there and I for one will still always support them. Because believe it or not genuine fighters still exist. They do whatever it takes to overcome the odds. They are a rare find and some do fall short. But our history shows that not only are they worth believing in but that they walk among us: unaware that one day they will come out on top. The unassuming might be the best kind of underdog, because they never back down and they never cave.
This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.
