He was Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, and tabbed one of the 40 most influential athletic figures over the past 40 years by that magazine. In spite of his accomplishments and worldwide recognition, LeMond remains a charming, self-effacing Midwesterner from Medina, Minnesota. He was born June 26, 1961. He began serious cycling at the age of 14, and at 16 began to exhibit his professional promise by finishing second at the Tour of Fresno. It probably kept me from messing with my friends and doing stuff I shouldn't have been doing.
Cycling takes a certain discipline to try and race and do well.
There's a lot of sports where you can kind of fool around and still perform, but in cycling you can't. The condition is a type of muscular dystrophy that prevents him from using oxygen rapidly enough to provide the energy necessary for top-level racing. It is said to be an inherited, progressive muscle disorder, the exact cause of which is unknown. LeMond's performance in the face of this disorder makes his accomplishments all the more astonishing. He's a family man who brings to a family event the characteristics of a true champion.