This Tuesday, standing before members of his beloved charity LIVESTRONG, Lance Armstrong announced that he is stepping down as chairman of the organization. Amid continuing escalation over his alleged doping during his seven Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2007, Armstrong made the decision to "spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career". The Lance Armstrong Foundation, commonly known as Livestrong, was founded in 1997 to serve people affected by cancer. Since 1997, it has raised over $500 million dollars, with 82% or more of its funds going directly to education, grant, and advocacy programs for cancer survivors.
I became involved with Livestrong in 2004 when I had the opportunity to participate with thousands of other cyclists in the Ride For The Roses in Austin, Texas. I personally met and rode with Lance on that unseasonably blistering hot day in October, and it was an experience I will never forget. Not just because I personally rode and chatted with Lance, and later had him sign autographs. Not because Lance had inspired me to be a strong cancer advocate in my own community, creating a non-profit and running a cycling event raising over $35,000 in four years. It was because of a very special person who later became an important role model to children in my community.
In case you're wondering, this is me riding with Lance in '04
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