- Alcohol
- Drugs
I started using alcohol when I was about 13 years old. I was a ski racer traveling with older teens and trying to fit in. By the time I got to college, I was a regular user of both alcohol and marijuana. I drank and drugged my way off the ski team in one year and out of school altogether in a year and a half. After being asked to leave school, my drinking and drugging escalated. I soon incorporated cocaine and many other drugs into my daily routine. Shortly after leaving school, I started a 17-year career with a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and got married the year I turned 22. The marriage was a disaster, as we were both alcoholics, but it lasted 12 years.
My road to recovery began in 1988 when I checked myself into a 28-day treatment program to try and save my job. This program first introduced me to 12-step meetings. It was also the end of my marriage, as my wife had no interest in getting sober. I stayed sober for a couple years and then went back to drinking off and on. During this period, I was fired from my job for using drugs at work. This resulted in the escalation of my drinking until I landed in intensive care at a hospital with pancreatitis. After that scare, I stayed sober for a few years. But eventually, I relapsed again.
It did not take long before I realized I had pancreatitis again. This disease is extremely painful and potentially fatal. At one point, I decided to end my life rather than go through this again. Thankfully, my attempt was unsuccessful. This got me back to 12-step meetings for good, although I did have one more trip to the hospital with another case of pancreatitis after a short relapse. In total, I have been sober almost 20 of the past 24 years with the longest stint being eight years. My current sobriety date is 9/2/2008.
Two things had been missing in my life: my beautiful wife Kelly, who I met at a 12-step meeting, and Phoenix Multisport. I joined Phoenix in March of 2011 and got back into athletics, which I had largely forsaken during my early recovery and relapse years. I now participate in road cycling, yoga and circuit training on a regular basis. I have also been on several ski trips and was honored to mountain bike as part of a documentary on Phoenix. I volunteer for events whenever possible and recently completed a wilderness first aid class so I can be a more official volunteer. Photography is a hobby of mine, and I try to get photos of Phoenix events for Facebook and the Phoenix website whenever possible. At age 56, I am frequently the oldest Phoenix member at a given event but I don’t let that discourage me from participating.
With my continued attendance at 12-step meetings and several Phoenix Multisport functions per week, I have a whole new life. This year, I achieved a long-time goal of mine: completing the Ride the Rockies bicycle tour. This is a six-day, 450-mile ride through the Colorado mountains. I could never have accomplished this without the help of Phoenix Multisport during my training. There were also three other Phoenix members among the 2000 riders on this tour. We had a fantastic time.
Many thanks to my wife Kelly and all the Phoenix Multisport members and staff for their support in my new life!