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DCBACCDDBABADDBBACADCABCBCBDDBCUnlessyou'vebeenlivingunderarock,bynowyouhaveheardofLanceArmstrong.Theunusualthinghereisthatyoumayhaveheardofhim,butnotalwaysforthesamereason.SomeknowhimasachampioncyclistwhosettheworldrecordbywinningtheTourdeFrancesixtimes.Othersmayknowofhimthroughhisphilanthropicworks,namelyTheLanceArmstrongFoundationandtheyellowLivestrongwristbandsthatyouseeeverywherethesedays.Othersmayknowhimasacancersurvivorwhodecidedtomeetthechallengesthatcancerthrewhiswayheadonandcameoutthewinner.Regardlessofhowyouknowofhim,justknowingofhimatalloffersyourlifeinspirationwhenyoumayneeditmost.(Millionsaroundtheworldproperlycelebratehimandhisloftyaccomplishment.)LanceArmstrong’sHeroismIsaMoralInspirationByAndrewBernsteinWhenLanceArmstrongrodethroughParisonSunday,crowninghisunprecedentedseventhconsecutivevictoryinthegruelingTourdeFrance,heputanexclamationmarkonwhatismorethanmerelyanextraordinaryathleticcareer.Bythistime,theentireworldknowsArmstrong’sstory–hisremarkablerecoveryfromwhatwasfearedtobeterminalcancer,hisexhaustingtrainingprogram,hislegendaryendurance,hisdauntlessdetermination,hisunequalleddominanceofcycling’spremierevent.Millionsaroundtheworldproperlycelebratehimandhisloftyaccomplishments.ButwhatexplainstheenormousinterestinArmstrong’ssuccess–orthatofanyothersportshero?Whydosportsfanssetsuchastrongpersonalstakeinthevictoriesoftheirheroes?Afterall,littleofanypracticalsignificancedependsonsuchvictories;aseventhArmstrongwinwon’tgethisfansaraiseorhelpsendtheirchildrentocollege.Whydosportshavesuchanenormous,enduringappealinhumanlife?Theanswerliesinararelyrecognizedaspectofsports:theirmoralsignificance.Whatathleticvictoriesprovideisarareandcrucialmoralvalue:thesightofhumanachievement.Athleticcompetitionsarestagedwiththegoalofachievingvictory.Bytheirverynature,theyseekandhonorchampions,i.e.,thoseselectfewwho,inagivenfield,outdistancetheirbrothersandsisters.Theresultofthispolicyisthatsportsrewardexceptionalachievement,notequality;theyglorifytheelite,nottheordinary;theycelebratetoweringheroes,not“thelittleguy.”Sportsdonotseekto“leveltheplayingfield”inanattempttogivealess-talentedcompetitorabetterchanceofdefeatingasuperiorrival.Properly,therearenopenaltiesimposedonachampionforbeingsuperiortohisfoes.LanceArmstrong,forexample,isnotrequiredtoheftatwentypoundweightupthesteepascentsofthePyrenees.MichaelJordanwasnotbannedfromspringingskyward.ThePGAdoesnotrequireTigerWoodstouseaninferiorbrandofclubs.Theonlyequalitypermittedisthateverycompetitorgetsthesameopportunitytoshowcasehistalentsanddetermination.Withartificialhandicapsoradvantageseliminated,sportsprovideanundilutedexampleofthepursuitofexcellence.Inanerawhentheanti-heroisdominantinintellectualculture,sportsprovidethepurestarenainwhichtopursue,observeandappreciatehumanaspiration,achievementandgreatness.Therealityofanathletestrivingtohonehisskillstotheutmost–enduringpain,overcominginjury,testinghismettleagainsttheworld’sbest–providesanoblevisionofman’spotential.Thoseofuswho,physically,cannotcycle2,000milesorrunthe100metersin9secondscanstillaspiretosignificantachievements.ThevisionofArmstrong’smagnificentabilitiesanddauntlessdeterminationengendersinthebestofusthequestions:WhatmightIaccomplishinmyfieldandinmylifeifIembodiedthesamedegreeofdedication?HowhighmightIgoinmyownlife-promotingendeavorsifIputintothemtheidenticalindefatigablequalitiesofspiritthatArmstrongdoes?ThemottooftheModernOlympicGamesis:Citius,Altius,Fortius–Swifter,Higher,Stronger.LanceArmstrongembodiestheseprinciplesperfectly.AgreatathletelikeArmstrongisinspiring,becauseheremindsushowmuchispossibletoahumanbeing.Heislivingproofthatanindividualcanreachgreatattainmentsandthatprofuseexertioninpursuitofadauntinggoalneednotbefruitless.100metresin8second？ManycontemporaryamateurathleteswouldhavebrokenworldrecordsiftheyhadtakenpartinthefirstOlympicGames.Sincethen,recordshavefallenintrackandfieldyearafteryearasathleticperformanceshavecontinuallyimproved.Ifrecordsfall,itisusuallyduetobetterequipment,traininganddiet,butrecently,improvementshavebeguntoslowdown.Atthe2000Olympic,onlythreerunnersachievedOlympicbestswithnoworldrecords.Someexpertspredictaceilingformanyevents,suchas9.5seconds.However,pastpredictionshavenearlyalwaysbeenwrong.Whenwetalkaboutbreakingrecords,wecomeacrosstheissueofperformance-enhancingdrugsareoriginallydevelopedtohelppeoplewithillnesses,butinthewronghands,theycreatesupremeathletesmakingthemfasterandstrongerthanisnormalforhumanbeings.Takingthesedrugsisknownas“doping”andalthoughtheyenhanceperformance,theyalsocauseserioushealthproblemsinlaterlifeforthosewhoabusethem.Thesportsworlddoesnottoleratedopingasitafundamentalformofcheating.BenJohnsonwouldstillbethe100metresworldrecord（holder）ifhehadnotbeencaughttakingdrugsinthe1988Olympic.Otherrecordsremaindoubtful,likeFlorenceGriffith’s100metresrecordbackin1988.Didshetakedrugs?IfAmericanathleteMarionJoneshadn’ttakendrugs,wouldshehavemadeittotheOlympicsatall?Dopingisnotonlyaprobleminathletic,itispartofeverysportwhereathletesseektoachievebeyondtheirnat