Based on Overcoming Adversity by Denise Brinker and Gail Marcopulos
In July 1999 an incredible young man won the Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling race in the world. Incredible? In 1996 Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with an advanced form of testicular cancer. It had spread to his abdomen, lungs, and his brain. Given a 50 percent chance of survival, Lance was faced with the challenge of his life. He faced this challenge like any other - head on, attacking it like a mountain pass in the Tour de France. Miraculously, after a year of aggressive surgery and chemotherapy, Lance was declared cancer-free in 1997. It was no miracle however that brought Lance back to the world of sport, training, and success. What resources and qualities did he draw on to overcome a situation that would have defeated most people?
All of us deal at times with adversity and challenges. Some people however, face handicaps and setbacks on an almost ongoing basis. One way to confront these obstacles in life is to look at what others have done. We can learn a lot by studying how people deal with their hardships.
Your assignment is to read and explore the life of an individual who has faced great obstacles during his / her lifetime. You will write a report which presents the results of your exploration. You will then try to give some answers to the questions raised in our minds when we hear about people like Lance Armstrong: How do they do it? Do I have it in me to face challenge such as these?
