Although he may have battled his way to seven consecutive Tour de France victories, Lance Armstrong’s greatest struggle was not fought in France.

By age 25, Lance had become one of the world’s best cyclists, but in 1996, he hit a hurdle that nearly ended his career. Lance began to experience some pain and swelling in his groin, but as a young, seemingly healthy athlete, he ignored the warning signs and attributed the pain to his six- to eight-hour days of cycling training. He did not seek medical advice until more than five months later when he began to cough up blood and suffer from severe headaches.

As a stubborn athlete in the midst of his best professional year ever, Lance did not want to hear there was a problem for fear of a career setback. When he finally did get the news, it seemed impossible to believe: advanced testicular cancer that had spread and produced a dozen golf ball-sized tumors in his lungs and lesions on his brain.

The prognosis was dim; Lance’s doctors only gave him a 50 percent chance of survival, but he was determined to battle his disease and win. He learned everything he could about the disease and sought the best medical advice he could find. Lance was given a choice of two chemotherapy regimens: one that might scar his lungs and end his professional career, and a second, more aggressive treatment with harsher short-term side effects, but little or no impact on his lungs. Following three surgeries to remove tumors, Lance decided to take his chances and undergo the more strenuous chemotherapy regimen that consisted of four week-long cycles with two weeks in between to recover. During his treatment, Lance never gave up hope, and, when he could, continued to cycle.

One year later, against all odds, Lance Armstrong beat his cancer.

Throughout his treatments, Lance’s family, friends and professional colleagues provided a constant support system to help him through the toughest moments. He also owes much of his victory to Bristol-Myers Squibb, the company that provided the medicines that helped Lance and his treatment team beat his cancer.

During his treatment, and before he even knew his own fate, Lance decided he wanted to help other individuals who face cancer every day. With the help of friends, he established the Lance Armstrong Foundation to support cancer survivors and promote cancer research and awareness. Through his foundation and with the help of Bristol-Myers Squibb,he initiated the Cycle of Hope campaign. The campaign provides hope to all people dealing with a cancer diagnosis by supporting early detection; encouraging a team approach to treatment, and empowering individuals to learn as much about their disease and treatment options.