Lance Armstrong was the first American to win the famous \"Tour De
France\' cycle race in 1999 and then he won it seven times in a row.
This becomes even more extraordinary because he achieved this after
getting cured of a last stage cancer. His entire life has been
extraordinary in many other ways too. This book is his Autobiography
written in an astonishingly candid manner. The gist of the book -
Armstrong\'s mother was only seventeen when he was born. Deserted by her
husband soon afterwards, she brought up Lance single-handed. She
didn\'t earn much, but did not deny him any childhook pleasures,
teaching him to be tough and brave, supported him in his ambition of
becoming a cycling champion, and stood by him in all the difficulties
that he faced. \"Turn every negative into positive\' was what she
believed in and that is what she taught him. He was emerging into a
famous cycling champion by the time he was twentysix, when all of a
sudden he became ill and was diagnosed as having cancer of the
testicles, which was spread to the lungs and also to the brain. His
mother, girl-friend and all friends rally round him to give all possible
help and to give moral support. But of course he has to fight the shock
and the disease himself. He has to first preserve his semen in a
semen-bank so that may be he can have children later if and when he gets
well, he has to go and inquire all over the country to find the best
possible hospital and doctors for surgery, contact his sponsors to see
who will continue to support him and give him medical insurance. Some
stand by him, some desert him. He undergoes surgery to remove the
testicles then lung surgery and finally the brain surgery. Luckily he is
strong enough to stand all the operations and then undergo maximum
possible chemotherapies. He is finally cured, which is a wonder. As he
goes through a lot of mental turmoil and self-doubt, his girl-friend and
friends patiently help him to boost his moral till he is finally
mentally strong enough to start practising cycling again and starts
taking part in smaller races; winning those gives him confidence. He
marries his girl-friend who undergoes a very tiring ordeal to get a baby
with the preserved semen. Before their son is born, Armstrong wins his
first \"Tour De France\' and goes on to win that race seven times in a
row. He has started a cancer-foundation to help needy patients and to
help cancer-research. The book ends when he retires, but recently, at
the age of 37, he has made a come-back and is taking part in \"Tour De
France\' in 2009. Whether he wins or not, the come-back again highlights
his grit, confidence and capacity.
Product details
- Binding: Paperback
- Publisher: Mehta Publishing House
- Language: Marathi
- ISBN-10: 8184980124
- ISBN-13: 9788184980127
- Author:
Sally Jenkins, Lance Armstrong
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