Great post. I think the question of cheating at high levels of athleticism is always a tricky one. On one side, you have these athletes willing to do anything to be the best, and this comes from their competitive nature. This often comes at a price indeed, most usually on their health.

I think the Lance Armstrong case is amongst one of the most interesting to look at. Armstrong cheated throughout his career to obtain 7 Tour De France titles. That is disgraceful cheating, not to mention the alleged pressure he put on his team. But at the same time, he was seen as a man who survived cancer and raised huge amounts of money for cancer research.

I'm not trying to defend the use of steroids at all. But I want to show that every person has a unique upbringing that conditions and rationalises many of their choices, regardless of whether others share similar views or experiences.

Great post :)