2014 Image Rehab: The Lance Armstrong Edition

In recent years, we have seen a multitude of high profile, professional athletes make a mess of their professional and personal lives. Today, we’re examining Lance Armstrong and his recent fall from the public’s grace.

After years of doping allegations, Lance Armstrong finally made a public drug-use admission in 2012 and was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories. In January of 2013, Armstrong sat down with Oprah to admit to habitual drug use during his cycling career and  accepted his unfortunate fate. Armstrong’s career hit an all-time low; he was no longer allowed to compete, he resigned from his leadership role at  LIVESTRONG Foundation and was cast with a less than desirable public image. We put our heads together to brainstorm some solutions for Armstrong to revive his image — check them out below!

(Source: Lance Armstrong Facebook)

1. Patience is a Virtue 

Armstrong has been more ‘infamous’ than ‘famous’ in recent years. He was an iconic sports hero that fooled the world, and in return, the world retaliated with anger. We think it’s too soon for Armstrong to attempt any new endeavors. Now is the time to be crafting a perfect plan to redeem yourself and lay low in the public arena. This means avoiding flashy events and parties — now is not the time to be photographed.

2. Pay it Forward

From our research, there is no predominate resource for athletes (professional and non) to reach out and seek non-judgmental help when dealing with the pressures of doping. This is a wonderful opportunity for Armstrong to try and right his wrongs by helping active athletes. Aside from Armstrong being pinned as an untruthful competitor (however he’s certainly not the first), his story acknowledges the pressures that athletes face in their careers. The use of illegal substances is not something that should be taken lightly by sports officials or the public, but it IS an unfortunate part of sports. Armstrong would be a great resource in helping athletes deal with the pressures of performance in all aspects of the field.

3. Speaking Up

We think small speaking engagements would be a great way for Armstrong to slowly (and positively) begin his journey back into the public eye. High schools, colleges and universities would be the ideal platform for Armstrong to get his anti-drug message across.  Speaking to students about his mistakes and how succumbing to the pressures of drug and alcohol use can ruin your professional and personal life.

Armstrong has a lot of work to do in order to win back the support of the public, but we think redemption is an achievable goal. His plan must be well crafted (and his intentions sincere) in order to achieve any future success. We’ll be keeping an eye out for Armstrong in 2014 – he’s bound to have an interesting year!

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