Lance Armstrong just may be the most famous American cyclist. He has so many accomplishments that they would not fit in one article. Among his accolades are his record wins at the Tour de France. He was a four-time recipient of the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award and also named four times as the United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year.  

 

According to BBC News, Lance announced his official retirement from competitive cycling almost a year ago on February 16, 2011, but that is his second retirement. He first retired in 2005 before returning to the sport in 2009. Fans hope that he will once again return, but also look forward to his other endeavors. He has a big focus on helping others who face cancer as he once did, and he also is devoted to his family.

 

Outside of cycling, Lance has the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides support to people whose lives are impacted by cancer. He’s the father of five children. He had three with his first wife, Kristin Richard; they are Luke David, Isabelle Rose, and Grace Elisabeth. They divorced in the mid-1990s. He later had two children with his current girlfriend, Anna Hansen, after it was believed Armstrong could no longer have children because of his bout with testicular cancer. Nevertheless, the two conceived and had two children naturally: Maxwell Edward and Olivia Marie. 

 

He stated that his children were the inspiration for his motivation to win the Tour de France a record of seven times in a row. In fact, About.com reported that he stated of his kids, “First and foremost, I think the biggest inspiration in my life now and the biggest inspiration to this decision is my children. They are the ones that make it easier to suffer, but they are the ones who have told me that it's time to come home. And so without them, none of this would be possible."