LANCE ARMSTRONG
Founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Seven-time Tour de France winner

[Biography | Honorary Degree]

In the last decade, Lance Armstrong went from being the world’s top ranked cyclist to battling life-threatening cancer to beating that disease and winning seven consecutive Tour de France titles. Now, retired at 34 years old, the legendary athlete is committed to helping others to defeat cancer through the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Armstrong grew up in Plano, Texas, and by the age of 16 was a professional cyclist. He spent his senior year of high school training with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team in Colorado Springs, Colo., and by the 1990s he began winning international races, including the World Championship, the Tour du Pont and multiple stage victories at the Tour de France. He also secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

At the beginning of 1996, Armstrong was ranked as the top cyclist in the world, but in October he was forced off his bike with excruciating pain. Doctors discovered he had advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. They estimated his chance of recovery at less than 50 percent. Despite the odds, Armstrong began an aggressive form of chemotherapy that his doctors hoped would give a chance for full recovery without the side effect of reduced lung capacity.

The treatment worked, and Armstrong returned to competitive racing in 1998. He ended his first race before the finish line, but the next race – the Lance Armstrong Foundation Downtown Criterium in Austin, Texas – found him back in the victory spotlight.

From there, Armstrong had his eye on the Tour de France. In 1999, he won the prestigious race for the first time. It was not only a personal victory, but also a win for all cancer survivors. Armstrong went on to win six more consecutive Tour de France titles before retiring in 2005.

Armstrong has won numerous sports awards, including the ESPY male athlete of the year award for three years in a row and Associated Press sportsman of the year for four consecutive years. Sports Illustrated labeled him “one of the greatest athletes of all time.”

For cancer survivors, he is an inspiration and a support through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides the practical tools people need to battle cancer and live strong. The Lance Armstrong Foundation sparked a worldwide campaign for cancer research and survivor support through the popular yellow LIVESTRONG bracelet, worn by more than 50 million people across the globe. Armstrong sits on the President’s Cancer Panel and has written two books, including his autobiography, “It’s Not About the Bike,” and “Every Second Counts.”