Double standards!

“The truth is, if you asked me to chose between Tour de France and cancer, I would choose cancer. Odd as it sounds, I would rather have the title of cancer survivor than the winner of the tour.” These are the words of the legend Lance Armstrong in his Autobiography: It’s not about the bike: My journey back to life.

For those who do not know who he is, Lance Armstrong is a much bigger superstar and real life hero to the world of cycling than Michael Schumacher is to the world of motor sport. This Olympian won the Tour de France a total of seven times. Tour de France is a grueling 3 week race, said to be the most punishing circuit any human being can undergo. He won it six consecutive times after he battled and prevailed against stage four testicular cancer. He clocked the fastest time ever, just 16 months, after being discharged from hospital as a lump of flesh.

This book is about the human ability to battle against all odds to achieve the difficult, fight the arduous and pass the backbreaking challenges in life. Lance was taught never to quit. He was raised by a single mother, his motivator who told him “If you can’t give 110 percent, you won’t make it.” He gave always his 110% and never quit, he ended up being a tour winner and a cancer survivor.

He fell in love with Lisa who was with him through the diagnosis, treatment and recouping. He wanted to marry her. But immediately after, he left Lisa stating that they had suffered from exhaustion; because of spending too much time together. Later he met, Kristin, an executive from a firm with which his cancer foundation worked. In a couple of months he was married to her. He has dedicated one full chapter of his autobiography describing how their love brought out the best in him.

Even after a long deliberation with myself I don’t think it is a valid enough reason to break up with the person who was with you thorough the toughest times in life. And recent reports states that he broke up with Kristin also and is apparently planning to marry Sheryl Crowe (a famous singer).

I fail to understand the reason for his failures in love life and marriage. I believe that he failed as a boyfriend and husband because he quit without even putting his 100% let alone 110% into his relationships. An individual who had the iron grit to battle cancer does not have the same grit to make a relation work? Is this what heroes are made of -- double standards? Are we supposed to have them for idols?