Neil Armstrong is dead. To an ever aging generation,the first man to set foot upon the moon was a hero of the greatest magnitude. In his mind though, I am sure Neil Armstrong felt he was not a hero. He was just doing his job,doing what was asked of him by his superiors, just as we do at our everyday jobs, albeit ours, for the most part, do not involve the risks and dangers that his did.
Hero or not, when Neil Armstrong, along with his two other astronauts executed their tasks to perfection, he inspired countless young men and women to follow in his footsteps. As an 8 year old,I sat transfixed in front of our console television set watching history unfold one black and white image at a time. Around the world, countless others did the same. In an instant, kids such as myself went from playing Cowboys and Indians to playing Apollo astronauts. Some of those kids, I am sure, actually did make it to Space later in their lives, all thanks to the events of July 20, 1969. I'll also bet that these latter day astronauts had had the chance to meet Neil Armstrong, and to tell him how he inspired their dreams and ambitions. I'll also bet that Neil took it all in stride, probably shrugging it off with an "aw, shucks, thanks so much" attitude. I never met Neil Armstrong, but that is the impression I have of him, no big ego, just an ordinary guy who happened to do an extraordinary thing, and in doing so, gained the admiration and respect of not only a nation, but the world. Thanks Neil, you will be missed.
----------------
I have a copy of a bicycle racing magazine from 1991 in my hand. There, on page 6 is a short column stating that Lance Armstrong, a cycling phenom from Texas, will ride for the Subaru-Montgomery team for the upcoming year. The team director is quoted as saying Lance has real possibilities for a great career in the sport, a real talent. Little did we know.
From 1991-1996 Armstrong's career was studded with triumphs big and small. Fans know what he accomplished during those years, but it is what happened after 1996 that made Lance a household name.
The story is a familiar one now, of how he was diagnosed with Cancer, beat it, and came back against all odds to not only race again, but to win the world's toughest race, the Tour de France, a record 7 times in a row. He was a hero, an inspiration to all, an example of positive attitude and a never-say-die attitude. He became a spokesperson for the cancer community, started a foundation, and raised millions for cancer research. He made wearing a yellow rubber bracelet into a fashion statement, I have one on, and I'll bet you may too. His story was a fairy tale come true. Lance was a celebrity, and had the celebrity friends to prove it.
Now comes the news that Lance Armstrong was probably using illegal substances to help him achieve his successes. He has given up his fight to clear his name from those accusations, and thus his achievements in the cycling world have been eradicated. No more 7 Tour victories, no Olympic medal, nothing. Lance Armstrong has ceased to exist in the cycling world.
I cannot say for sure whether he doped or not. My feeling is that he did, using drugs such as Oxyglobin which was, at the time undetectable and not even on the banned substance list since it was so new. One has to look at the 1996 Tour winner,Bjarne Riis, who eventually admitted to doping during that race. The 1997 winner and Armstrong's main rival in later years, Jan Ullrich, was also found to have doped. Marco Pantani, 1998 winner, was found positive during the 1999 Tour of Italy, which means that he also was probably doping before that. Other cycling stars have also admitted to doping, casting a cloud of suspicion over the whole sport.
Lance, I want to believe you raced clean all those years. I want to believe in the power of proper training and diet, and the power that sheer determination can give you. You were gifted with a superior physical make-up that I can only envy. You, like your namesake Neil, have inspired thousands upon thousands of people, and through your foundation, books, and speeches have given hope to people fighting cancer worldwide. You too did the extraordinary, and became a hero in the process. I want to believe,trust me. And if you did dope, come out and admit it. You'll still be a hero, a hero for admitting you did wrong, and when you pass from this earth, you'll do so in peace with yourself, satisfied with a life well done. Do it for your fans, do it for yourself, and do it especially for Neil Armstrong, another American hero.
