Personal message

Over the past 22 months in recovery I have found interest in a lot of new hobbies and activities, things I never saw myself taking part in or enjoying. Running and cycling has been two of the most rewarding and enjoyable activities I have found great passion for.

During my active addiction I was unhealthy, hardly ate, did not look after myself, and had no interest in being apart of any kind of healthy activity. My focus was only on ways to feed my disease. My addiction took me to a very dark, lonely and painful place and I had no hope of getting out of the kind of life I lived. No matter how hard I tried, I was stuck. After many failed attempts trying to get clean and being in enough pain I finally found recovery. As part of a program in a treatment facility, it was compulsory for us to go for walks in the mornings. For 6 weeks I was getting used to some routine, something I never had in active addiction. After I left the facility I wanted to stick to the routine so I went for my walks every morning and stuck to the routine.It was like meditation for me, a positive way to start my day. 

6 Months into my recovery I decided to come off some of my prescription medication and felt very depressed. It was suggested that I get more exercise during that time, to get the blood flowing and allow the endorphins to help with my depression. I  started running, very slowly and only for short distances at first. Doing a bit more every week. This helped as promised. I did my first 5km race with some family members who've been running for years. I fell in love, with the vibe,the positive energy, the different shapes and sizes, the early mornings, being in nature and the way I felt while running, being free in every way possible and having a sense of belonging and purpose. I still run as often as I can and for me it is a big part of my recovery.

In November 2018 I entered the 94.7 Cycle Challenge for charity. I was fearful and had my doubts as to whether I will even be able to do 10km. I haven't been able to train enough at the time and didn't want to set myself up for disappointment so set my goal to do only 15km.

During the challenge I kept my team mates close and kept moving forward,riding for a cause- for those still suffering in addiction. The vibe, the camaraderie and the support from the bystanders was what got me through. I finished the challenge in time and got my medal. I was ecstatic, also quite surprised at first, but felt a great sense of accomplishment in completing the challenge. I absolutely love running and cycling, the people involved in these activities, the positive energy and so many rewarding and fulfilling moments is what keeps me going.

I have entered to do 50km in 100 Cycle Challenge on the 5th of May and looking forward to this challenge, riding for those addicts still suffering.

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