Exposing the Catalyst of Your Destructive Behavior
Emotional trauma, physical or sexual abuse, divorce, peer pressure, or another of many possible underlying causes of despair are often found to have been the catalyst for individual’s heading down the self-destructive path of alcohol and substance abuse. The road to recovery begins by determining what unique factors triggered this behavior.
Ironman Competitor Tells of Addiction, Recovery
By: John Mulcahy
photo by: Linda Campbell
ADRIAN, Mich. — Six years into sobriety after 13 years of drug and alcohol addiction, Todd Crandell began competing in Ironman Triathlon competitions.
Today Crandell, 44, of Sylvania, Ohio, has completed 19 full-length Ironman Triathlons and is one of only 25 people in the world to have completed both the Hawaiian and Canadian Ultraman Triathlons.
Just as important, in 2001, he founded Racing for Recovery, a program that uses support groups that include family and community as well as fitness and positive alternatives to help people overcome addiction.
Experience Inspires Others to Make Better Choices
All too often, individuals make bad choices in life, because they did not receive the right guidance or advice from a peer or someone they looked up to and respected. In a perfect world, every child would learn, from an early age at home, how to make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and it is sometimes left to others to connect, educate and inspire a healthy lifestyle in others.
Exercise for Healing
Explore how exercise helps your body and mind work though life’s challenges and how to boost your efforts with diet. Peter will talk with athletes and other experts on subjects ranging from overcoming addiction and fear to building endurance as a triathelete. Wondering about which exercises are best to add to your training for running or walking? Are there particular food items that you should add to your diet? Exercise for Healing is a great investigation of the positive effects of exercise, diet and faith on your well-being.
Local Group Battles Addiction Together
By: Laura Rice
SYLVANIA, OH — From drug and alcohol addict to extraordinary athlete: Sylvania native Todd Crandell’s story has inspired an untold number of people.
Even though he is still running the big races, these days, Crandell’s mission is more about people than performance. His Racing for Recovery program is changing lives.
National Athlete of the Month | Todd Crandell
By: Staff Writer
Todd Crandell’s 13-year struggle with drugs and alcohol nearly destroyed his life, devastating relationships with family and friends, and shattering the promise of a professional hockey career. He quit using drugs and alcohol on April 15, 1993, and has been sober ever since.
In the process of rebuilding his life, Crandell realized traditional recovery programs weren’t enough. He needed something more. He chose the most grueling sport imaginable, the Ironman Triathlon — 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run. Crandell ran his first triathlon in 1999 and has never stopped since.
Extreme Athlete Shares His Story in Portsmouth to Help Others
By: Geoff Cunningham Jr.
PORTSMOUTH — Todd Crandell is most certainly a man of extremes.
During Christmas of 1986 the man now known for his inspirational message found himself alone on a Florida beach drinking a bottle of vodka as he watched the waves roll in.
For 13 years Crandell was loaded up on nearly every type of drug or alcoholic beverage he could get his hands on.
And then came the epiphany after his third arrest for driving while intoxicated on April 15, 1993.
Struggles with Addiction Proves Crandell to be an Ironman™
By Aimee Lockhardt
PORTSMOUTH — Todd Crandell had a promising career as a professional hockey player ahead of him until he began using drugs and alcohol. His 13-year struggle not only affected his athletic life, but also his relationships with family and friends.
On April 15, 1993, he quit cold turkey and has been sober ever since. It wasn’t without challenges. Finding traditional support programs weren’t helping, he turned to the Ironman Triathlon and its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
From Excess to Exercise: Group Helps Men and Women Live Sober Through Sweat
By: Kate Dailey – Newsweek
More than 13 years ago, as Scott Strode was struggling to get his drinking and drug use under control, the gym in Boston where he boxed offered refuge. “All the guys in the gym were sober because they were training for fights,” says Strode, 37. “It was a place I could go where I knew there wouldn’t be any pressure to use or drink.”
Now, a sober Strode is recreating the benefits of that safe space for others committed to living sober lives. He’s the founder of Phoenix Multisport, a Boulder, Colo.-based nonprofit that hosts more than 35 athletic activities a week, ranging from running to mountain climbing to biking to yoga, events free to anyone in the area who wants both a good workout and sober social network.
Former Drug Addicts Find New Fixation on Triathlons
By: Madison Park – CNN
(CNN) – When rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings didn’t work for Eddie Freas, he sought another way to kick his 20-year drug and alcohol addiction.
He swam 2.4 miles. He biked 112 miles. He ran 26.2 miles. The Pennsville, New Jersey, resident found relief in triathlons.
“I feel better when I’m working out,” said Freas, 33. “It does wonders for the mind. The reason I started running — it was a switch that went off in my head. I started feeling positive and feeling great about myself.”
