The Road-racing Cyclist Lance Armstrong

He has become famous as an American professional road-racing cyclist. His participation has been to ride for the UCI Pro Tour team and Team Radio Shack. And he is also founder of the Lance Armstrong foundation that exists for cancer research and support. Armstrong is best known for having won the Tour de France a record breaking seven consecutive times from the years 1999 to 2005. He is the only person to ever win it seven times and also broke the previous record for five wins that as shared by Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Jacques Arquetil. And he survived testicular cancer in 1996. Despite an original prognosis that did not show much hope for recovery he underwent several cancer treatments and surgeries to continue in the competition. And his continued excellence despite his serious condition and later recovery lead him in 1999 to be named the American Broadcasting Company's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. In 2002 he won the Prince of Asturias Award in Sports. Then also in 2002 Sports Illustrated magazine named him Sportsman of the Year. Lance Armstrong was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the years, 2002 through 2005. Plus he received the ESPN's ESPY Award as Best Male Athlete in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.



Lance Armstrong officially retired from racing on July 24, 2005 following the Tour de France. But he elected to return to competitive cycling on January 2009 and finished third in the 2009 Tour de France. Another of is accomplishments was to be picked as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality in the year 2003. Through all his racing and personal health crisis he has remained a very inspirational symbol of courage and commitment. And to so many it has made him a true champion both on his bike and off. Throughout it all he has been such a major influence on countless people who admire his talent and bravery as a true example of a hero.



Still as he has life has so powerfully demonstrated, no one, even the best athlete in a given sport can afford to ignore health dangers. They can strike anyone at anytime. Sickness comes to most everyone at sometime. So the only way to be safe from all the risks that come from no health care coverage is to be sure you have a good health care policy. It is what can make the big difference when that illness strikes.