LIVESTRONG

I bought my LIVESTRONG band about a week ago from a guy who was coaching little kiddies at Virgin Active's pool. I asked him where he got it, and he said he got it from Lizelle Markgraaff (once a springbuck swimmer), and she got it from one of her brother's, who has just returned from the USA.

LIVESTRONG has basically just reached South Africa, and the awareness is still pretty raw. A lot, if not all of England's cricket team are wearing them. So what is it all about, and where does it come from?

If you have read Lance Armstrong's book, It's Not About the Bike (his second book is Every Second Counts) then you'll know where the inspiration started, how it came, and the power and glory that these yellow bands represent.
Lance Armstrong overcame cancer. He went from being about 100% healthy to 70% dead, had tumors removed from his brain, his body injected and radiated and basically reduced to a chemical shadow of his former self. He went from this point to 1 million% alive.
He attempted to resuscitate his cycling career, and was initially wobbly, but very soon, in yellow. Thus rejuvenated, reinforced and renewed with a love, respect and appreciation for his own life he found the inner strength and resources to get back into cycling and win the world's toughest cycling race, the gruelling 3 week (and about 3000km) Tour de France. Not only did he manage this, but amazingly returned 5 times and won the race each time, making him the only man ever to do this. And he is a cancer survivor.

Why a yellow wristband? In cycling the yellow jersey, or maillot jeune, is worn by the overall leader on the road. You can probably guess how the name LIVESTRONG came together.

Proceeds of the LIVESTRONG band go to Armstrong's cancer foundation. I bought mine for R50 from someone I met in South Africa, but they can also be ordered online.
Read more about Lance at www.lancearmstrong.com, or Lance Armstrong's Foundation at http://www.laf.org/.

I wear my LIVESTRONG because obviously I have been inspired by the courage and inspiration Lance has brought to bear in his own life. It's also a way to recognise (often) other cyclists or active people, or simple show the world that whoever you are, and wherever you are, altruism is cool.