By Robin Fogel-Shrive —
“Hard work, sacrifice and focus will never show up in tests.” — Lance Armstrong
While setting up my new classroom at my new school last week, I deliberated on what visuals to display and which ones to bring home as mementoes of my nine years of classroom teaching.
My poster of Lance Armstrong, signed by the Lower Lake High School Health and Human Services Academy class of 2006 made its way to the wall by my desk.
These students were the first of many to read Armstrong”s memoir, “It”s Not About the Bike,” which I brought to the academy curriculum partly for the connection to health services, but mostly because I felt Armstrong was an inspirational role-model for overcoming adversity.
I wanted our students to glean motivation from this extraordinary man and athlete.
These students who were sophomores at the time, were so taken with not only Lance”s story of surviving cancer, and rising out of the ashes to return as a world-class cycling champion, but of his passionate work with other cancer survivors through his foundation.
They composed a class letter to him. The poster, along with other items, was sent to us in a thank you reply.
It”s Not About the Bike, and an excerpt from the book, which is part of the California State University”s expository reading and writing course module, “The Value of Life,” has touched many a heart and spirit in our classrooms.
A student last year, whose younger brother has been winning the fight against cancer, took great comfort in Lance”s recovery.
Now, I always remind my students that unless you know him or her personally, one always refers to a writer by their last name.
Lance is an exception. As a Lance fan myself, one who waited hours in the rain a few years ago just to see him whiz by in the Tour de California, his personal intensity and honesty transcends formal rules.
Therefore, I was shocked to read in the news that this honesty, which has repeatedly been questioned by the USADA, and that this man, who has never given up, has chosen to remove himself from the madness of constant interrogation and harassment regarding his possible doping — many years after he tested negative.
Over the summer I mused with Jeff Cramer, of Main Street Bicycles in Lakeport, about Lance”s future.
We are both Lance fans. So I phoned Jeff Friday afternoon to get his reaction to the latest news.
He was adamant that this process of accusations based on hearsay, after testing had been administered with negative results, was analogous to someone getting a DUI conviction after producing clean samples, but based instead on someone reporting they witnessed said person drinking and driving.
According to Jeff cyclists are tested before every race prior to advancing to the podium as well as randomly. His response to the current news was that Lance was tired of it — he knows he won the races.
As a Lance fan I recall reading that Lance was always and constantly tested even on his honeymoon, and that the demise of his marriage was based in part on this persistent invasion of his personal life.
While I cannot blame Lance”s decision to be stripped of his medals without sufficient evidence to the contrary, I was very saddened to read his statement.
What did cheer me up, though, was hearing that the Lower Lake High School girl”s soccer team won their first game last week after two consecutive seasons without a single win.
Friend and teaching colleague Robynn Giese coached her team to stay determined, practice diligently and train incredibly hard; this win brought them the just reward for their steadfast motivation and persistency. Lance would applaud their strength.
In a similar trajectory, as I sat amongst the beauty of the Moore Family Winery Saturday evening watching the sun set behind the hills and trees, my friend and teaching colleague Carl Stewart poured his heart into his music with the local band Blue Collar.
Carl has made a tremendous recovery from cancer. His music has helped him stay strong. Lance would applaud his strength.
I anticipate that this year questions will arise about Lance, as I still applaud his strength and will incorporate his story in my curriculum, yet, hopefully these questions will motivate students to look more deeply into the controversy and that at the end of the day, they will conclusively applaud his strength.
Robin Fogel-Shrive teaches high school English. She can be reached at rshrive@yahoo.com.
