Armstrong named Austinite of the Year

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Chamber of Commerce Wednesday named seven-time winning Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong as the 2010 Austinite of the year .

Selection for the Austinite of the Year is the responsibility of the outgoing chairman of the board. This year the 2010 chairman, Barry Mayer of Tokyo Electrons Holdings , chose Lance Armstrong as the 27th recipient of the prestigious award.

In a news release Wednesday the Austin Chamber of Commerce said, “A fixture in the Austin, Texas community since 1990, Armstrong's impact on this vibrant town is significant. In 1997, facing testicular cancer and not yet knowing his fate, he established LIVESTRONG , a non-profit organization that serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action. This marked the beginning of his role as an advocate for cancer survivors and a world representative for the cancer community.”

Event organizers said Lance was chosen as a recipient for his love of Austin, the place he calls home.

“Austin is the best place in America to raise your children. Being diagnosed with cancer changed my life, and my relationship with this city," Armstrong said as he received his award.

Armstrong moved to Austin from Plano, where he grew up in the early 1980s. He said he’s seen the city go through changes over the years but believes without support from the community his success wouldn’t be as widespread.

“I don't think that would be possible without the passion of Austinites," he said.

Armstrong has been an advocate for Austin around the world and at home. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 he began focusing on how he could help those fighting cancer. In 2007 he created the LIVESTRONG Foundation, which to date has raised $395 million.

In November 2007 Lance Armstrong, along with a bipartisan team of politicians, pushed for and won passage of a $3 billion plan to beef up cancer research and prevention in Texas.

He was also instrumental in the creation of The Lance Armstrong Bikeway Project , which was named in his honor. The six-mile bikeway will enable bicyclists to travel east and west on a dedicated route through downtown. The bikeway will extend from Veterans Drive at Lake Austin Boulevard on the west side of town to the Montopolis Bridge at US Highway183 on the east side. The path consists of a combination of off-street concrete trails, on-street striped bike lanes and on-street signed bike routes.

The first phase of the bikeway project is expected to take less than a year. The second phase of the project, which will run through downtown, does not have a start date yet, but planners said they hope the new bike path will prompt new bicyclists to ride.

"Studies show that areas with new bicycle facilities experience an increase in bicycle commuting," said Annick Beaudet, bicycle and pedestrian project manager for the city of Austin. "The bikeway will likely increase bicycle use to, from, and within the downtown area, helping to achieve citywide goals such as sustainability, congestion management and downtown vitality."

“Armstrong's influence continues to affect the healthy lifestyle that has kept Austin ranked as one of the most active cities year after year, as well as infrastructure developments that allow for this lifestyle to be possible," Chamber of Commerce officials said.

“Thank you for the honor, I feel like I'm accepting this for all the cancer survivors fighting," Armstrong said during his speech in front of members from the Austin City Council and hundreds of business leaders

Armstrong is the owner of two local businesses, including Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop and Capital Sports and Entertainment .

The Austin Chamber of Commerce hosted the event, which is the 133rd luncheon for the organization formed in 1877.