[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO LANCE ARMSTRONG

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, in the world of sports, there are 
competitions, there are grueling tests of strength and endurance, and 
there is the Tour de France. For 22 days--through 20 different stages--
over 2,286 miles--over mountains--across valleys--through cities--some 
of the world's greatest athletes ride. They compete against each other, 
the elements, the terrain and themselves, primarily with the hope of 
simply completing the ride.
  Competing in the Tour de France, there are the great athletes, there 
are the elite athletes, and there is Lance Armstrong. On his Circum 
Vitae, Lance might list himself as a two time Olympian, a two time US 
Champion, World Champion, or--a feat boasted by only eight riders since 
the beginning of the tour in 1903--a three time Tour de France winner.
  On this past Sunday, July 29, the 29 year old Texan pulled up to the 
Champs-Elysees, six minutes and 44 seconds ahead of his next closest 
competitor. It was his third victory at the Tour de France in as many 
years. While he has been reluctant to accept the title, many of his 
fellow cyclists consider him to be ``the Patron''--the unquestioned 
boss of the race.
  However, as remarkable as his competitive achievements may be, Mr. 
Armstrong's Circum Vitae has one addition that establishes him as a 
truly remarkable human being--he is a cancer survivor. With the same 
fortitude that carried him over 6 peaks in the Pyrenees, Mr. Armstrong 
defeated choriocarcinoma, an aggressive form of testicular cancer. By 
the time it was discovered, the cancer had spread to, and established 
itself in, Mr. Armstrong's abdomen, lungs and brain. Some of the 11 
masses in the talented young cyclist's lungs were the size of golf 
balls. According to medical science, Mr. Armstrong had an estimated 50/
50 chance of survival. Needless to say, the odds of his ever returning 
to the sport he loved were more slim.
  However, as has been made obvious in the last three tours, Lance 
Armstrong is a man of great determination. Since 1997, Mr. Armstrong 
has been cancer free. Despite having endured brain surgery, the removal 
of a testicle and intense chemotherapy, he has returned to and excelled 
in one of the toughest competitions in the history of sport.
  Beyond his professional triumphs, Mr. Armstrong has lived a fulfilled 
personal life. In 1998, Lance Armstrong and Kristen Richard were joined 
as husband and wife. In 1999, the couple were blessed with the birth of 
their first son, Luke David.
  Beyond his incredible professional and personal triumphs, Mr. 
Armstrong has become a beacon of hope to his community. Through his 
work with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Mr. Armstrong has greatly 
benefitted the causes of research, early detection and treatment, and 
survivorship. The name Lance Armstrong has come to signify hope for 
cancer patients and their families.
  So, I rise today not to congratulate Mr. Armstrong, but to thank him. 
He has meant a great deal to a great many people. The word ``hero'' is, 
in my opinion, overused in the world of sports. Lance Armstrong is a 
hero.

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