The Livestrong Foundation after having learnt of Lance Armstrong's use of banned substances to win seven straight Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005 is disappointed. But the company accepted his apology because of the million cancer survivors he's assisted through his foundation.
Armstrong admitted using performance enhancing drugs in all his victories in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired Thursday on the OWN channel.
"We at the LIVESTRONG Foundation are disappointed by the news that Lance Armstrong misled people during and after his cycling career, including us," a response statement issued by Livestrong Foundation read. "Earlier this week, Lance apologized to our staff and we accepted his apology in order to move on and chart a strong, independent course. We look forward to devoting our full energy to our mission of helping people not only fight and survive cancer, but also thrive in life after cancer."
The Livestrong Foundation was officially known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation but has been changed officially to Livestrong in October. Armstrong who survived testicular cancer resigned as a board member of Livestrong in November.
"Even in the wake of our disappointment, we also express our gratitude to Lance as a survivor for the drive, devotion and spirit he brought to serving cancer patients and the entire cancer community," said the statement. "Lance is no longer on the Foundation's board, but he is our founder and we will always be grateful to him for creating and helping to build a Foundation that has served millions struggling with cancer."
Armstrong founded the organization in 1997 to help the cancer survivors in every way possible, from their financial needs to emotional help. According to the site:
"The LIVESTRONG Foundation is one of the most highly-rated and effective cancer organizations in the United States. Our success has never been based on one person - it's based on the patients and survivors we serve every day, who approach a cancer diagnosis with hope, courage and perseverance. We listened to their needs and took action to create free cancer support services that offer access to clinical trials, fertility preservation, insurance coverage and even transportation to treatment. People living with and through cancer are the inspiration behind our work. They have been, are and always will be our focus."
