You spend your life watching an athlete. You watch him overcome multiple obstacles and drive himself to victory every time. You yearn to be like him and hang his poster on your bedroom wall hoping that one day you too will be the subject of his successes. Then you learn that he cheats to win titles. You feel let down, deceived by the very man in whom you have entrusted your love and your faith. That’s how they felt about Lance Armstrong when many aspiring cyclists learned that he had used performance-enhancing substances throughout his career.
He was stripped of seven Tour de France victories and banned for life from playing sports. It was news that broke cycling fans and Lance Armstrong himself. Below is a more detailed story of the extraordinary athlete who made the world fall in love with cycling.
Lance Armstrong’s Bio
Few people know, but the surname Lance does not come fromhis biological father. His birth name read Lance Edward Gunderson when he was born on September 18, 1971, but after his parents, Linda Gayle and Eddie Gunderson divorced, his mother remarried and Lance was adopted by his stepfather, Terry Keith Armstrong.
Lance was born into a modest family and he would have been forgiven for choosing a safer route for his chosen career, but he was a boy with a passion for sports and he was never going to give it up. From the age of 12, his talent for competition became evident when he won the junior triathlon. Between 1987 and 1988, Armstrong was considered the number one triathlete in the country and an interesting anecdote about his exceptionalism as an athlete under the age of 19 as an amateur. He had a better record than five triathlon professionals in the United States.
In 1992, Lance Armstrong became a professional cyclist and joined the Motorola cycling team. Shortly after joining the team, he took his first road racing world championship victory in Norway in 1993. However, early in his career rumors began to suggest he was the guy to do anything to win. His first USPRO CoreStates National Championship was reportedly awarded to Armstrong for subjugating a competitor into dropping out of the race, but this was never substantiated.
Armstrong’s success continued to grow over the years until October 2, 1996, when he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. The diagnosis forced Armstrong to temporarily retire from cycling for treatment. After being declared cancer-free in 1997, he returned to cycling and was signed by the US Postal Team.
Armstrong’s return to cycling in 1998 was the start of a ride that would cement his legacy, both positively and negatively. His rivalry started with Jan Ullrich and although it lasted for 7 seasons, Armstrong won it all. Taking seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France. After his last victory in 2005, he announced his retirement from racing.
Before admitting to doping and being stripped of After retiring in 2005, Armstrong returned to cycling after retiring in 2005 and under different sponsors, but he never reached the peak of his racing in 1998-2005.
Since the news of his doping broke, Lance has faced numerous lawsuits, including one by the US Department of Justice on behalf of the US Postal Service.
Net value
Despite lawsuit settlements and losing his doping scandal, Lance Armstrong still managed to maintain a net worth of $125 million. Having lost much of the income generated from cycling, his wealth comes from investments and businesses he created during his life as a beloved cyclist.
Even cheaters have a good side. Armstrong, despite being a notorious cheater, has been a philanthropist since his rise in the sport. He created a foundation in 1997 to help fight cancer after surviving his battle with testicular cancer. The Lance Armstrong Foundation was able to raise over $325 million to support the fight against cancer.
Who is Anna Hansen? Spouse or partner, children
Armstrong has been married twice to KristinRichard and Anna Hansen. Armstrong’s first marriage was to Kristin Richard in 1998 and the couple had three children during the period of their marriage. They had two daughters and a son. The marriage took a turn for the worse and ended in divorce in 2003.
Although Armstrong was briefly engaged to SherylCrow in 2005, the two never made it to the altar and separated in 2006. In 2008, Armstrong met his current wife, Anna Hansen, and the two have been married ever since. Armstrong and Anna have two children.
Where is he now?
Having spent the last few years out of the public eye, recent news suggests that Lance is gradually winning back the hearts of those who felt betrayed by his doping scandal. He is building a media company called WEDU which currently hosts two podcasts, The Move , and The Forward. Other than that, Armstrong spends his time with his family at his home in Texas.
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