My mom was such a strong character. I don’t want to say she was like a man, but she was tough.

Armstrong is crediting his mother’s force of personality and resilience as formative influences, emphasizing “toughness” as a defining trait. The self-correction—“I don’t want to say she was like a man”—signals awareness of a gendered cliché that equates strength with masculinity. By rejecting that framing while still reaching for it, he reveals how culturally ingrained the association can be, even for someone trying to avoid it. The quote ultimately functions as a tribute: his mother’s strength is presented as exceptional and admirable in its own right, not as an imitation of male toughness.