Lance Armstrong Role Model

Lance Armstrong is Not a Good Role Model

At some point in their lives, nearly every little kid in America dreams of becoming the next great pro athlete. Whether they like it or not, professional athletes in every sport are looked up to by hundreds of thousands of younger children and teenagers. While some welcome the attention and prove themselves worthy of being idolized by young children, others do not demonstrate as positive of actions. In order to determine whether or not an athlete is a good role model, one must weigh the criteria of their behavior, making good life decisions, and being an inspiration to others. Furthermore, a good role model can be defined as a person who is looked up to and sets an example for others through these

Athletes fall on both ends on the spectrum of good or bad behaviors. In order to excel at a sport, especially at the professional level, one must put in hours of hard work each day. Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 Boston Marathon winner, is a perfect example of this kind of dedication. He has an extremely strong work ethic, and “his total training time, including all the extras, eats up at least eight hours each day” (So Good for). Hard work is a positive behavior that is necessary for success, and Keflezighi knows this. The ability to be a top competitor at the elite level takes dedication and a huge time commitment to the sport. However, not all professional athletes demonstrate this kind of good behavior. While there are lots of hard workers in every pro sport, some athletes behave in a way that no one in his or her right mind would want to emulate. It is likely that many people have heard the stories of domestic violence in the NFL. The name ‘Ray Rice’ is commonly associated with the incident where he beat his fiancee unconscious in an elevator and dragged her to their room (Fishman). This kind of behavior is

In order to be considered a role model, the athlete must inspire others in a respectable way. When looking at inspirational athletes, Tim Tebow is a profound example. Tebow is very public with his dedication to his faith, and is not afraid to talk about and stand up for what he believes in. This sharply contrasts with some other athletes and how they conduct themselves in public. Parents would never desire their children to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol; for this reason, Michael Phelps is a non-example of this criteria. In ten years, Phelps was charged with two DUIs resulting in treacherous driving (Sheinin). At this point in time, Michael Phelps is not an inspiring figure. Without a doubt, a DUI is not an inspiration to anyone. Potentially throwing away everything one has worked for, not to mention endangering the lives of other drivers, is the opposite of inspiring. When evaluating Lance Armstrong, he admittedly has an inspirational story - up to a point. He overcame testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain to become one of the world’s best cyclists and win 7 Tours de France (Bissinger). While this feat is certainly inspirational, it was accomplished through illegal blood doping. Because Armstrong cheated, his success story of determination and overcoming odds is tainted and no longer an inspiration to