Journal #27

I think persistence is an important quality to have in life. To me, persistence has a very similar meaning to the word perseverance; not giving up. Of course there is more than this to its meaning, but I think that is its main point. I try to exhibit persistence on a daily basis although I may not always be given the opportunity. The best example of persistence that I can think of is the "story" of Lance Armstrong. He is one of my personal heroes, and he is possibly the most famous athlete in the professional cycling world. He not only represents persistence and perseverance by just finishing and usually winning his races, but he also battled cancer. Overall, Lance won seven Tour de Frances, which is truly unheard of. Cancer is an ongoing struggle especially in the medical scene. Obviously there is no cure so it is hard to overcome. Armstrong was diagnosed with three (I think) types of cancer during what seemed to the middle and peak of his career, and things looked grim. However, he persisted through all of his treatment, and with the support of his friends and family, he got back on his bike to win even more championships. There was even a foundation created to support his fight against cancer, and it also goes toward cancer research. If I were to guess, the Livestrong foundation is probably one of the most well known charity organizations ever. Lance Armstrong seems to be the "poster child" of persistence and perseverance. Cycling is already a difficult sport, and to struggle with cancer during your career just makes the challenge more difficult. He could have just given up and quit the sport he loved when he was diagnosed, but he persevered and persisted through treatment to come back and be a champion once again. I hope a tragedy like this never occurs in my life of course, but I hope that I am presented with a challenge like this.