Tour of Livestrong Center in Austin

This past weekend, Livestrong held an open house/bike ride event nearby in Austin; as a kick off for the Livestrong Challenge.  I've been getting more involved in Livestrong since learning of my brother's cancer diagnosis, including the fundraising page that I did on his behalf when I raced the IM Texas 70.3 triathlon. So, I decided it might be interesting to drive into Austin and check things out. Below are a few pictures and notes from the tour.

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Side Note: Speaking of Livestrong, they are currently providing my 15 seconds of internet fame (not minutes, this is internet time)... If you go the main LS page at Livestrong.org; on the bottom left of the page is a section on the MH Ironman Texas 70.3 triathlon with 4 small photos. That goofy guy on the top right is actually me - ha! The pictures may not be on the front page long, but that thumbnail image links to the full picture in Flickr, which should stick around for a while.
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Now, back to the main topic... I arrived at the Livestrong building early Saturday morning, in time to see the bike riders getting ready to head out. The ride itself didn't quite fit into my schedule that day, unfortunately, but I was excited to tour the building and learn more about what they do there. Things got started with a short greeting and a couple of announcements about the Livestrong Challenge bike ride, including the news that it would now be flat $50 fee; with no fundraising minimum requirement. That should allow many more people to participate, as they can just sign up for the race and not have to worry about their ability to raise funds.

 Bike riders getting ready to head out.

A few minutes after the bike riders left, we started the tour of the Livestrong building. It turns out that building is really two buildings in one:  The main Livestrong Headquarters/Office, and a Navigation Center where they provide on-site assistance for cancer patients (evaluating treatment options, financial counseling, emotional counseling, etc.). Here are a few pictures and notes on some of the things I found interesting...

Reception Desk. Note the sign on the desk

Inspirational quotes and mottos like this are everywhere in the office

Lance's 7 Tour de France Yellow Jerseys

Open, cubicle environment. Even the CEO sits out here.

Plenty of cool stuff like this custom-made motorcycle...

 and this mobile art piece. Each "bike" tells a different story from Lance's life

Tribute wall

Livestrong Core Values

Employee fitness room, with aerobics studio above it

Actual table from local restaraunt (ZTejas) where the idea for Livestrong was hatched.

Entrance to the Navigation Center

 Inspirational quote on wall in Navigation Center

So, I'm glad that I made it down there for the tour... It was really quite interesting and informative, and it was great to meet some of the Livestrong team. Every person that I met was very passionate about what they do and why they do it. It is nice to know that people like my brother have advocates like that, fighting for their cause, and helping direct them through this painful and difficult process!

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