GREGORY LOUGANIS ON LANCE ARMSTRONG
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With all the drama surrounding the Lance Armstrong interview,expected to run in two parts this week on OWN Network, Olympic Champion Greg Louganis went to his Facebook account to give us some insight and his view on the drug scandal. I must say, Greg opened our eyes on a few things. The real champ here is Greg Louganis!
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Lance Armstrong
From Gregory Louganis Facebook Page.
I don’t usually chime in with a lot of “gossip” or “public opinion” of celebrities, but I myself was challenged to figure out how I felt about the whole Lance Armstrong situation.
Am I disappointed he cheated? Yes, I “feel” for those competitors who were “clean” and competing. I am also not so naive to think Lance was the only one. I do have to say, all of the interviews and what I saw and the public saw, was a humble and gracious winner in Lance. He became a spokesperson of hope for Cancer, the “Live Strong” campaign; he gave hope to many when some may have felt hopeless. He didn’t shy away from the fame that was thrust onto him by media, advertising agencies, and the public. Living life under a microscope is no easy task.
I also might have a unique perspective, being diagnosed HIV positive 6 months prior to the Olympics in ’88. I was put on AZT, when I told my co-author Eric Marcus, he sobbed! He exclaimed, I will never know what an accomplishment that was, to win two Olympic Gold medals on AZT. Many of the HIV meds came from the research of Cancer. I think now I have a better idea what an accomplishment that achievement was as I, had to over time, needed to go onto growth hormone and hormone replacement to fend off wasting, and support my vitality. I doubt I could have passed doping test years after when in ’93 I had a terrible fungal infection in my colon. It was a challenge to get back to myself, energy level as well as a healthy body weight, it became a balance, but I remain on rather toxic drugs to keep a virus at bay.
I don’t know, and it is none of my business to know, what Lances treatments have been. But if even for a period of time those drugs were as toxic as I suspect they were, who is to say other medications were not necessary to balance a healthy and vital life. I am talking about “quality of life”!
I was asked what I believe Lances’ legacy will be, I have no idea, nor does anyone, but I know I will remember Lance as the man behind the “Live Strong” movement, with those yellow wrist bands, and a humble, gracious athlete who was seemingly kind. I like to focus on the positive and see the good in people, and Lance I feel has done a lot of good even if his name is removed from the record books of many Tour Records. I appreciate and respect what he accomplished to be voice of encouragement and hope. Thank you Lance!
Namaste, Greg
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