An American hero, a worldwide role model for so many cancer victims and by all accounts an upstanding man, Lance Armstrong deceived all of us, plain and simple. But his deception stretched beyond sport and its accolades. It stretched beyond legal battles. It reached into the hearts of people everywhere who wanted to believe that hard work and dedication can overcome even the worst of circumstances.

Here’s some breaking news: it can’t. Some circumstances are too great, some situations too dire and some obstacles too absurd to conquer. That’s life. That’s reality, and it is far from the image Lance Armstrong portrayed.

Lance was the all-American ream. As a cancer survivor and a seven-time Tour de France champion, he captured the hearts and minds of millions upon millions of Americans. His thrilling races brought attention once a year to a sport that otherwise lay dormant and the story went from “can he win another one?” to “how is he going to win this one?” Most importantly for me, he brought awareness to his cause.