- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Faith
- Friends & Family
How did you hear about the Atlanta Heroes 6k?
Online. There is a 6k for Heroes in Recovery in Nashville and we found out about all the other races. When my wife and I saw that there was a prize, we decided to come here to Atlanta and see if we could win. My wife Gisela actually won 1st Overall Female today; she did really well.
You both did really well! You placed too didn’t you?
Yes. I won First Overall Male.
What led to your recovery journey?
I came to Nashville on the May 28 of 2012 to go to a program at the rescue mission. That’s when I started my recovery and I do feel like I have recovered a lot. I went to a place in Indianapolis for about 14 months and I went through the whole program there but I had a relapse so I came to Nashville. I needed to go through another program because I was struggling again.
How has your life changed?
I have a beautiful wife and a baby now. I have my own apartment, I have a car, I go to church on Sunday, I read my Bible and I work hard every day. I don’t have to destroy my body, which really is the temple of the Lord, and I feel really good now.
Running has really helped me and it’s a big part of my recovery. I would just say I tried thousands of ways to get off of drugs and none of it really ever worked because I didn’t have that kind of power in and of myself. I needed to let go of thinking I could get clean and change alone. I needed to humble myself and ask for help every day. I would recommend that everyone do that, make a connection with your higher power and recognize that you can’t do it on your own. Try to get to that point everyday where you ask God for his help and humble you and he’ll be right there to help you.
Do you have any words of encouragement for someone who still might be out there struggling?
The thing that really changed my life, the thing that really turned me around, was the fact that God’s love was never changing for me, regardless of how I acted. I mean, I was addicted to crack for seven years off and on. I’d have little periods where I’d get it together but I’d always go back to it. From the age of 18 to 25 I went back and forth drinking, smoking crack and weed and stuff. But God still loved me, he wasn’t looking at all my failures, he was looking at me with love. He will accept you. You don’t have to feel bad about coming to Him. You come to Him as you are. He accepted me in that condition and there’s no other love like that I’ve ever found. That changed me.