On behalf of everyone involved, I’m pleased to announce the launch of LIVESTRONG.COM, an ambitious web site project that aspires to be THE destination on the internet to inspire and inform people about leading a healthy, fit lifestyle. We’ve assembled a strong partnership of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Demand Media, Inc., one of the leading social media companies in the world, as well as an incredible team of world-renowned experts in their respective health fields.

LIVESTRONG.COM is not just another web site packed with health information and expert advice. In my opinion, there is plenty of information already out there and furthermore, sitting at your desk surfing the web is not the key to a healthy, active life. LIVESTRONG.COM aspires to be a totally interactive community, where you can connect with people of similar interests and health concerns and obtain easy to find, specific advice from respected experts. We’ve made a strong effort to have the tone of the site be upbeat and motivating, rather than dry and academic. Consider this distressing news from a recent survey fielded by Harris Interactive: 86% of Americans attempt healthy lifestyle changes but only 46% are successful. I don’t think this failure rate is due to lack of knowledge, but instead with a flawed approach. As an athlete, I know it’s easy to set goals √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú whether it’s winning the Tour de France, lowering my marathon time or trying to eat a little healthier. The hard part is follow-through: staying focused and motivated over the long term. We envision you using LIVESTRONG.COM to get motivated, focused and then take real-life, decisive action to achieve your goals.

Breaking bad habits or implementing new ones takes tremendous focus – you have to refrain from your vices or repeat your good behavior every single day for at least a month for changes to truly take hold. Just as with my goal of winning the Tour de France, achieving great things is nearly impossible to do alone. Winning the Tour was not as simple as me pedaling faster than the guys in the other color jerseys; it was a massive logistical, analytical, emotional and physical operation requiring the support of teammates, team employees, coaches, trainers, mentors and loved ones to remain on the path to success.

Similarly, you will achieve best results with your goals and lifestyle changes when you have an effective support system in place. I’ll never forget the massive frustration Bart Knaggs and I experienced in trying to find reliable information, treatment options and research about testicular cancer on the internet when I was first diagnosed. Well, the internet has come a long way since then and you will not believe the incredible amount of interactive tools and resources available at LIVESTRONG.COM.

For our opening launch, we have 15,000 professional articles and videos, over 350,000 nutritional food profiles and 50,000 health and fitness-related questions and answers. I will be contributing regularly to the site, sharing what’s going on in my world and some of the lessons I’ve learned about peak performance and positive attitude, encouraging others to find their inspiration and pursue their own goals. Welcome to LIVESTRONG.COM – I invite you all to enjoy our engaging, healthy community.