Lance Armstrong and Andre Agassi: Keeping Fit as You Grow "Younger"

Speakers:
Andre Agassi, Winner of more than 60 professional tennis titles; Founder, Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
Lance Armstrong, Seven-time winner of the Tour de France; Founding Director, Lance Armstrong Foundation

Moderator:
Diana Nyad, World-Class Distance Swimmer; Broadcast Commentator

Andre Agassi and Lance Armstrong have a lot in common. Both champions, they have markedly different demeanors. Armstrong, casual in jeans, speaks with measured intensity. Agassi, who suited up for the occasion, is playful and modestly charming, almost seeming bemused to be on a stage in front of a room of people. The title of this panel led me to believe that it would be a discussion of the aging of America and the value of fitness but it was more a celebration of these impressive athletes.

Both Agassi and Armstrong are great comeback stories. Armstrong battled cancer to win a record seven consecutive Tour de France races. After wrist surgery, Agassi was ranked number 141 in the world in 1998. As Agassi said, he tried to look on the bright side, "only 140 people in the world could beat me."

Agassi and Armstrong are also both devoted to causes. For Armstrong it's cancer and for Agassi it is children. His foundation, which was created in 1993, has raised $52 million.  Armstrong's famous Live Strong foundation raises money for cancer research.

If you had hopes of being a tennis champ or a bicycling phenom, dream on. Both Agassi and Armstrong stressed the fact that you have to be, as Armstrong put it "born a great athlete." But he also stated that the "mental part is greater than the physical."  Armstrong mentions his resting pulse rate of 33 and the fact that he doesn't produce as much lactic acid as other people do. Agassi agrees that being an athlete is a gift but that it also has to be nurtured.
The major difference between these two athletes is that one has retired and one hasn't. Armstrong says he is happy to be retired, that he likes spending time with his kids and while he will "never be that fit again" he is content on the sidelines. He was the oldest man to win the Tour in 50 years and knows that cycling is a young man's sport. Agassi is still playing tennis, currently gearing up for Wimbledon. He said that Lance asked him previously if he would have retired last year if he had won the U.S. Open. He said no. He is "happy to play" and still sees it as a "process of self-discovery." He still considers himself a tennis player but hopes that after he retires he can still wake every day with a sense of clear purpose. Lance mentioned that life as an athlete is simple: eat, sleep and train, while the retired life is much more complex.

Both men as older athletes stressed the value of training and dedication. Agassi said it best noting that "a strong body obeys and a weak body commands." Maybe there is hope for us non-gifted aspiring athletes yet.