Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Barry Norman

Aired July 27, 2003 - 07:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A little later today, Lance Armstrong is expected to coast down the Champs Elysee and cross the finish line of the Tour de France for his fifth straight title.
In fact, that ride has just begun this morning. His story, though, has been one of persistence and inspiration. And that is a story many others want to tell as well.

Joining this morning from Charlotte, North Carolina is Barry Norman, an amateur cyclist who wants to be just like Lance.

So much for that just like Mike kind of deal, right Barry? Good morning to you.

BARRY NORMAN, AMATEUR CYCLIST: Good morning, Heidi. How are you?

COLLINS: I'm great, thanks. Hey, tell us your story, would you Barry? I know that obviously Lance is an inspiration to you for his bout with cancer. You had a previous serious fall of your own and are now back in the seat, so to speak.

NORMAN: Yes. I actually was out visiting a friend of mine in Colorado Springs, back in January doing some training riding. And unfortunately, took a spill on the Air Force Academy base. And wound up breaking my pelvis in several places.

COLLINS: So what does that do to a training schedule? So that -- you know, I know that you've been riding really hard lately, after getting into cycling. Really set you back for a while. Not to mention the emotional set back?

NORMAN: Oh, it really did. I was devastated at first. As a matter of fact, I was in denial for the first few weeks. I thought I was going to really be able to get back on the bicycle within a few weeks.

But after a while, I realized that I was going to be off the bike for four to six months. And between my wife and my cycling coach, just realized that it was going to take a while and just had to let things heal.

COLLINS: Is that when you first started to look at Lance Armstrong and sort of his bout, when his triumph, getting over the obvious challenges that he had to get over? NORMAN: Oh, absolutely. Thinking about what Lance had to go through, I knew that what I was going through was absolutely nothing, and that I would heal. And in his case, he was close to death, I think, a couple of times. And mine was non life threatening after the initial injury. And I knew that the bicycle and the mountains of North Carolina were always going to be here whenever I was able to come back.

COLLINS: And speaking of the mountains of North Carolina, we are looking at Lance there on the Tour of France on the right of the screen, but you have a mountain of your own that you have actually conquered, right?

NORMAN: Yes. A couple of years ago, I decided to really take a big challenge. And I entered an event called the assault on Mount Mitchell. And that is 100 mile ride, beginning in Smartburg, South Carolina and ending at the summit of Mount Mitchell in North Carolina.

COLLINS: So how do you train for something like that?

NORMAN: Well, when I first decided that I was going to do that, I thought well maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew. So what I did was I picked up the phone and called Carmichael Training Systems. And I figured that if their training methodology was going to be good enough for Lance Armstrong, that it could probably help me, too.

COLLINS: Yes, I would imagine that might be the case. So has it helped?

NORMAN: Oh, absolutely. It's been a tremendous help for me. More than anything else, just a consistency that's really helped.

COLLINS: We were looking at some more graphics now the Tour of France, obviously, this race is going on. Actually, the ceremonial sort of race is going on right now, where we've learned that Lance Armstrong has actually increased his lead over Jan Ullrich, his main competitor as of yesterday's time trial.

But there were some pretty scary weather conditions that they had to deal with yesterday. In fact, we'll take a look now at a fall by Jan Ullrich that took place during that time trial. And actually, Armstrong was able to -- you see it there -- Jan Ullrich going down in the circular sort of course that they were racing on. Really wet conditions.

Talk to us about that a little bit. What sort of challenge does that provide these guys when they not only have to deal with such a long race that goes on for days and days, but now add in the weather like this?

NORMAN: Oh, it can be devastating. As you just said, that Jan Ullrich fell yesterday. And not only him, but several other riders did, too.

And in yesterday's particular case, it was where Jan and Lance had to go as hard as they possibly could, but still stay safe and stay upright, because the times were just so close.

COLLINS: Barry, we just have a second, but in looking at that video of these professional cyclists surely is inspiring, I'm sure, to you. What is your ultimate goal?

NORMAN: Just to get better, Heidi. I don't really know what it is about myself, but I just want to get better. Every ride, every event, I just want to get better. Something about pushing my personal threshold a little bit more each time.

COLLINS: Well, good for you. Barry Norman, we are glad you're back in the saddle and glad that you are certainly working on your craft. Good luck to you. Thanks so much this morning.

NORMAN: Thank you, Heidi.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 27, 2003 - 07:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A little later today, Lance Armstrong is expected to coast down the Champs Elysee and cross the finish line of the Tour de France for his fifth straight title.
In fact, that ride has just begun this morning. His story, though, has been one of persistence and inspiration. And that is a story many others want to tell as well.

Joining this morning from Charlotte, North Carolina is Barry Norman, an amateur cyclist who wants to be just like Lance.

So much for that just like Mike kind of deal, right Barry? Good morning to you.

BARRY NORMAN, AMATEUR CYCLIST: Good morning, Heidi. How are you?

COLLINS: I'm great, thanks. Hey, tell us your story, would you Barry? I know that obviously Lance is an inspiration to you for his bout with cancer. You had a previous serious fall of your own and are now back in the seat, so to speak.

NORMAN: Yes. I actually was out visiting a friend of mine in Colorado Springs, back in January doing some training riding. And unfortunately, took a spill on the Air Force Academy base. And wound up breaking my pelvis in several places.

COLLINS: So what does that do to a training schedule? So that -- you know, I know that you've been riding really hard lately, after getting into cycling. Really set you back for a while. Not to mention the emotional set back?

NORMAN: Oh, it really did. I was devastated at first. As a matter of fact, I was in denial for the first few weeks. I thought I was going to really be able to get back on the bicycle within a few weeks.

But after a while, I realized that I was going to be off the bike for four to six months. And between my wife and my cycling coach, just realized that it was going to take a while and just had to let things heal.

COLLINS: Is that when you first started to look at Lance Armstrong and sort of his bout, when his triumph, getting over the obvious challenges that he had to get over? NORMAN: Oh, absolutely. Thinking about what Lance had to go through, I knew that what I was going through was absolutely nothing, and that I would heal. And in his case, he was close to death, I think, a couple of times. And mine was non life threatening after the initial injury. And I knew that the bicycle and the mountains of North Carolina were always going to be here whenever I was able to come back.

COLLINS: And speaking of the mountains of North Carolina, we are looking at Lance there on the Tour of France on the right of the screen, but you have a mountain of your own that you have actually conquered, right?

NORMAN: Yes. A couple of years ago, I decided to really take a big challenge. And I entered an event called the assault on Mount Mitchell. And that is 100 mile ride, beginning in Smartburg, South Carolina and ending at the summit of Mount Mitchell in North Carolina.

COLLINS: So how do you train for something like that?

NORMAN: Well, when I first decided that I was going to do that, I thought well maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew. So what I did was I picked up the phone and called Carmichael Training Systems. And I figured that if their training methodology was going to be good enough for Lance Armstrong, that it could probably help me, too.

COLLINS: Yes, I would imagine that might be the case. So has it helped?

NORMAN: Oh, absolutely. It's been a tremendous help for me. More than anything else, just a consistency that's really helped.

COLLINS: We were looking at some more graphics now the Tour of France, obviously, this race is going on. Actually, the ceremonial sort of race is going on right now, where we've learned that Lance Armstrong has actually increased his lead over Jan Ullrich, his main competitor as of yesterday's time trial.

But there were some pretty scary weather conditions that they had to deal with yesterday. In fact, we'll take a look now at a fall by Jan Ullrich that took place during that time trial. And actually, Armstrong was able to -- you see it there -- Jan Ullrich going down in the circular sort of course that they were racing on. Really wet conditions.

Talk to us about that a little bit. What sort of challenge does that provide these guys when they not only have to deal with such a long race that goes on for days and days, but now add in the weather like this?

NORMAN: Oh, it can be devastating. As you just said, that Jan Ullrich fell yesterday. And not only him, but several other riders did, too.

And in yesterday's particular case, it was where Jan and Lance had to go as hard as they possibly could, but still stay safe and stay upright, because the times were just so close.

COLLINS: Barry, we just have a second, but in looking at that video of these professional cyclists surely is inspiring, I'm sure, to you. What is your ultimate goal?

NORMAN: Just to get better, Heidi. I don't really know what it is about myself, but I just want to get better. Every ride, every event, I just want to get better. Something about pushing my personal threshold a little bit more each time.

COLLINS: Well, good for you. Barry Norman, we are glad you're back in the saddle and glad that you are certainly working on your craft. Good luck to you. Thanks so much this morning.

NORMAN: Thank you, Heidi.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com