Seven time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong will attempt to become the oldest winner of the 2009 Tour De France race in the name of cancer awareness. The big question is, will Lance succeed in his attempts to win the race and more importantly find a cure for cancer.
What is Lance doing now to succeed? Lance is currently training on the bike and focusing on specific things such as stretching, diet, technology of cycling and team strategies. In a recent interview Lance stated that although he will be almost 38 when he starts the tour next summer, he feels like he is 25 again. He said that he feels motivated and more inspired than he has ever been to get back to the bike and work hard to make all the sacrifice it requires to be competitive.
The key to his success is that he believes the mind powers the body, and once the mind says we want to do it, then the body will follow. The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) inspires and empowers people affected by cancer through the Global Cancer Initiative. Their focus is on the following:
1. Together we will end the stigma of cancer and turn cancer victims into cancer survivors.
2. Together we will build an international grassroots movement that will take cancer from isolation to collaboration.
3. Together with world leaders, we will transform cancer from obscurity to priority.
The Obama government needs to focus on the continuum of the disease all the way from prevention to end of life. This is another success principle from Lance Armstrong - take measurable preventions to eliminate chances of failure and defeat.
Currently more funding is needed at the federal level both at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. Barack Obama has pledged to double funding at the NCI. He is a big support on the fight against cancer as he lost his mother to this disease. The question for success is now, "will the White House treat cancer as a priority?"
Most people may not feel good about hearing this but here are the realities of cancer: More than 12 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and eight million will die from the disease each year. Cancer kills more people than malaria, tuberculosis and aids combined. However, many governments devote few resources to fighting cancer and collect little information about its causes and effects.
For more than 10 years the LAF and its founder - cancer survivor and champion cyclist - Lance Armstrong, have partnered with other organizations and dedicated advocates to make cancer a national priority in the United States and Canada. Now the LAF is taking the battle to fight cancer globally.
So why will Lance win the 2009 Tour De France? It is very simple. His passion, determination and his support from millions who will take action towards the Global Cancer Initiative has the power to succeed. You can support too by visiting www.livestrong.org.
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