Lance Armstrong is speaking out against his stepfather, claiming that he used to "beat the s*** out of me." The former pro cyclist says he was sometimes beaten as punishment for leaving his drawer open. Armstrong made the revelation in part one of the two-part ESPN documentary "Lance," which aired on Sunday.
Terry Armstrong adopted Lance as his own son when he was 3 years old after Lance's mother split with his allegedly abusive biological father, according to USA Today.
Lance and Terry were unable to develop a strong bond. Lance described his stepfather as "kind of terrible," recalling how he used corporate punishment as a form of discipline.
"Sure enough, I would leave a drawer open, and he would pull out his fraternity paddle and just beat the s*** out of me," Lance said.
Terry admitted he was tough on his stepson but said it was because of his military background.
"It was bend over and take your licks," he said. "I was a taskmaster, but I didn't put my arms around him enough and tell him I loved him. I was always there, always coaching him, always pushing him. But I didn't show him the love that I should have."
Although Terry said he did not show his stepson enough affection, he believed he shaped Lance into a winning athlete.
"Lance would not be the champion he is today without me, because I drove him," Terry said. "I drove him like an animal. That's the only thing I feel bad about."
The film leaves viewers wondering whether Lance's tumultuous childhood taught him to win at all costs. The seven-time Tour de France winner has admitted he was a bully who would do anything to succeed in his sport.
He ultimately turned to doping, something that he lied about for several years.
"Nobody dopes and is honest. You're not," he said during the documentary, according to USA Today. "The only way you can dope and be honest is if nobody ever asks you, which is not realistic. The second somebody asks you, you lie. It might be one lie because you answer it once. Or in my case it might be 10,000 lies because you answer it 10,000 times."
Lance clinched various accolades between 1999 and 2005, but in 2013 he came clean and admitted to being guilty of doping. He was stripped of all titles and banned from the sport.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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