Confessions of a doper.

• Author: Vaughters, Jonathan
• Position: OPINION - Essay

Baseball great Barry Bonds, track star Marion Jones, and now cyclist Lance Armstrong: These superstar athletes have all been disgraced in doping scandals.

Armstrong was not only a cycling legend, but also an inspiration because he had overcome cancer. In August, after 13 years of denying he'd used any performance-enhancing drugs, he announced that he'd stop fighting charges of illegal doping. His decision means he will be stripped of his seven titles in the Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious event, and barred from competitive cycling for life.

Doping isn't limited to professional sports. While the use of performance-enhancing drugs among college and high school athletes is believed to be decreasing, it remains a serious problem. In the last few years, sports leagues at all levels have tried to address the issue, tightening rules and increasing penalties for doping.

In this essay, former professional cyclist and doper Jonathan Vaughters explains why athletes take drugs and what could be done to stop it.

Why does an athlete dope? I know why, because I faced that choice.

My life on a bike started in middle school. At 5:30 every morning, I popped out of bed with excitement and purpose. Into the dark, freezing Colorado morning I rode. For the next 30 miles, I pushed my heart rate and the pedals as high and as fast as they would go.

These early rides make up many of my memories from my teenage years during the 1980s: the crashes, the adrenaline, and the discipline of training every day.

But the most vivid memory from those rides was how I dreamed. As I sped through suburban Denver, in my mind I was climbing the great alpine passes of the Tour de France. Erased from my head were the bullies at school, the money troubles at home, and the fact that no one wanted to go to homecoming with me. I decided there was no amount of hard work, suffering, discipline, and sacrifice that would keep me from achieving this dream.

Achieving childhood dreams is a hard road. First, there is the physical effort of riding 20,000 miles a year for 10 straight years to get within spitting distance of ever riding the Tour de France. Then comes the strain on your family. Next, the loss of friends and social contact. While most of my friends were at prom, I was in bed early for a race the next day. And while most kids went on to college, I went to a cold-water apartment in Spain, hoping to make it big.

People who end up living their dreams are not necessarily those...