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When you think of a superhero—someone
who has superhuman abilities—who do you think of: Superman,
Wonder Woman, Spiderman? There's no shortage of make-believe superheroes,
but real ones are harder to find. Meet Lance Armstrong—he's
the real deal.
Just who is Lance Armstrong? Well, he's an American cyclist
who, in 2005, won his seventh consecutive Tour de France, cycling's
toughest and most prestigious race. Armstrong's climb to the peak
of his sport is one of the great stories of triumph over adversity.
Less than three years before he won his first Tour in 1999, Armstrong
was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs
and his brain. Doctors told him that he had less than a 40 percent
chance of surviving. Armstrong underwent two operations and brutal
chemotherapy that destroyed his muscles, wrecked his kidneys, and
left burns on his skin from the inside out. Despite his ordeal,
in 1998, Armstrong began his cycling comeback.
But what is it that sets Armstrong apart from other mortals? Armstrong
attributes his superiority to physiology. First of all, he produces
very low levels of lactic acid, the chemical our bodies make when
we're tired. It causes our lungs to burn and our muscles to ache.
This means that Armstrong can tolerate a lot more pain than most
of his competitors. Secondly, his heart is a third larger than a
normal person's and can easily handle an extended period of 200-plus
heartbeats per minute, which explains why he can crank up steep
hills in record time.
Armstrong continues to be
a representative for the cancer community. For millions of people
around the world, Armstrong's strength, determination, and sportsmanship
have been inspirational. Some even call him a superhero.
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