When Lance Armstrong comes out of retirement, he really comes out of retirement.
CNN says that Armstrong and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby in June. What's so amazing about this is that the couple conceived without the use of any artificial fertilization.
Armstrong was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. Before undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, he had some sperm stored (recounted in “It's Not About the Bike”) that was later used to conceive his first three children with his first wife, Kristin.
Recovered
Now he seems to have recovered some of the side effects from the chemo. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta says:
“This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors. It means his body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery.”
[Update: Research shows sperm counts recover to normal for about half the men getting chemo for testicular cancer. See comments below…]
The startling news comes as the 37-year-old Armstrong is about to embark on his return to pro cycling after a three-year retirement. The timing of the childbirth works quite nicely right between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
Good luck to the parents-to-be.
Anna Hansen
The mother-to-be is Anna Hansen, a program manager and recruiter for First Descents. The Colorado-based nonprofit provides outdoor experiences, such as whitewater kayaking, to help in the healing of cancer survivors.
According to a bio at the First Descents website, she graduated with a degree in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has volunteered at the Children's Hospital in Denver and is a board member for Camp Wapiyapi, which supports families with children suffering from cancer.
Armstrong's first three children with his former wife, Kristin, are Luke, 9, and twins Isabella and Grace, 7.
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