Well, you had to see this coming. Lance Armstrong is no dummy. (A heartbreaker, perhaps, but no dummy.) When he teamed up with Nike in 2004 to create the LIVESTRONG wristband he had to know that it was just a steppingstone in his race to raise cancer awareness.
As of last month more than 70 million of the yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands have been sold. The LIVESTRONG emblem is a representation of Armstrong’s mantra in life, and now the seven-time Tour de France champ wants to give people a new way to show their support for cancer victims and survivors.
Armstrong (along with Nike) is getting ready to launch the LIVESTRONG Collection of apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and kids. Even more newsworthy is the fact that Nike has committed to giving 100 percent of the profits from the collection to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which supports cancer survivorship programs.
Armstrong has been outspoken about his goal even before he retired from cycling. He wants to make cancer a national priority. And despite the media’s fascination with his love life (though it didn’t help that he proposed to an international singing sensation) and his relationship with other Hollywood hotties, it’s not hard to tell that being a cancer survivor is Armstrong’s number one accomplishment.
Being a one of the world’s greatest athletes helped him become a symbol of hope for people battling the insidious disease (including my own mother). According to Armstrong, the new LIVESTRONG Collection represents a “commitment to human potential and to overcoming adversity.” The people at Nike say the entire collection is inspired by the world-class athlete and caters to “everyday warriors” who cross-train, run, and cycle.
And similar to athletics, with fashion it’s all about timing so wouldn’t you know that Armstrong has chosen to debut the new LIVESTRONG collection at the New York City Marathon this November.
Hmmm… perhaps, the new apparel will help him improve his finish time…