“Lance,” the two-part ESPN 30-for-30 documentary about Lance Armstrong, airs tonight and next Sunday night (May 31st). I’ve shared a photo of Armstrong with his very first manager.
Armstrong was a phenomenal young swimmer and runner from the Dallas area at age 14. Eder, AC Class of 1980, took young Armstrong under his wing and made a suggestion:
“Hey kid. Maybe add cycling to the mix and compete in triathlons.”
Lance did. During his Texas high school years in the late 1980s, Armstrong was one of the most successful triathletes in the country.
By the early 1990s, Armstrong was a cycling professional in Europe preparing for the Tour de France. But he still had the triathlon bug. Armstrong called up Eder and said “hey Scott, I’m back in Texas and hear your group is sponsoring a triathlon this weekend. I want see if I still got what it takes to win it.” Armstrong dominated the cycling of course, powered through the swimming & running with effort, and barely held on for the win. Armstrong then told Eder:
“You know, I think it’ll just be cycling for me from here on out.”
Scott Eder is a fitness consultant and trainer/coach for marathoners and triathletes. He’s also the first Kangaroo to compete in the Kona Ironman, finishing the Hawaiian event back in 1984 near the time of its inception. You can find Eder mentioned in two books about Armstrong; links to both are included in the comments. Eder was also a consultant and contributor for the 30-for-30 documentary airing tonight.
Thanks for the chat yesterday Scott. If I ever decide to run my second marathon, I know just the Roo coach to hire.
The life of Lance Armstrong is interesting and complicated. Shoot yeah I’ll be watching the documentary tonight. Especially now that I know that Armstrong’s story includes a Roo tie.
