Tell me about your history with substance use and recovery?

On Saturday June 10th, I was four years sober.

I started using when I was 11, primarily amphetamines and stimulants for weight loss. I dabbled in that until I was about 17 and got sick of seeing people die and go to prison, so I quit, but I still smoked pot and drank occasionally, leaving the door open to my addiction. I went to college, worked, got married and had a child, so I was a functioning addict those years, but I did not tackle the deeper layers of the onion, the weight loss, the low self-image the body dysmorphia, and that led to a massive relapse. Then the perfect storm hit – a series of devastating circumstances – and I relapsed on my drug of choice.

I attribute the relapse to not changing my people, places and things enough. Even though I wasn’t using my DOC at that time, I knew people in that world who I had access to when I was in a very vulnerable state. I relapsed fast and hard, and I lost everything within a couple of years. I was homeless, picked up some charges and was facing a significant amount of jail time. They gave me the option of going to treatment instead and that’s where the magic started to happen.

I went to The Haven for 17 months, and then sober living for five months and I’m still a part of the program today. I worked at Crunch Fitness for years as a janitor, then a trainer, then a manager. So, when I met Geno Shvedov, the founder of Hazelbrook and Paradigm, he asked me to join him in this endeavor. I quit my job and I came over here and Its been wonderful.

What has helped you in recovery?

This time it’s because I stayed close to recovery and the people. I have a fellowship of NA. I’ve done them all, and NA ended up being the one I related the most to. Giving back and staying a part of the community is my recovery. Fitness is my niche. I’m a personal trainer, a power lifter and Olympic lifter. It helps me tackle the deeper issues of the weight loss and the self-worth.

What’s your job at Paradigm?

I teach a recovery class of physical fitness tied to mental well-being and recovery. For instance, during rest times and cool down we talk about some sort of “just for today” or a meditation. I’m also a peer coach, so I combine some of that work.

And, I do a ton of outreach. Depending on the community we’ll talk about fitness in recovery, or we’ll do a compassion circle or we’ll do something that is tied to the steps so we can get through point A of distress and get to the next phase.

I focus on quality versus quantity. Individual touch in this field is so key.

So how would you describe Paradigm?

We are “recovery with a dash of fitness.” The studio has equipment for boxing and lifting. We offer Yoga in Twelve Steps (which is phenomenal) and art music therapy. We try to offer any type of therapeutic help for people in recovery from anything. It’s a safe and welcoming place. We will also go to facilities if they want to offer something on-site.

When did Paradigm open?

In January 2021, but we really started seeing traction when we staffed up a couple of months ago.

How can people take your classes?

We have a website, a facebook page, an Instagram, but the best way is to just come in. Everything is free and there’s no registration. All we ask is that people come in 24 hours not using or drinking.

Congratulations on four years of sobriety!

Thank you. I hope to meet some of the CeDAR community soon.

Let’s go as an alumni group and check out ParadigmOne. They offer a myriad of classes related to recovery: yoga, boxing, art, music, meditation and more. Check out the schedule on their website. www.paradigmOne.org