A Spartan in Life and RecoveryA Spartan in Life and Recovery
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Ambere Holmes shares a raw journey from early substance use, domestic violence and profound loss to long-term recovery, higher education and Spartan racing. Her story highlights integrity, small daily choices and doing the work for herself as the core pillars of her new life.
1:10:11•13 Dec 2021
From Oreos to Obstacles: Ambere Holmes’ Gritty Road to Recovery
Episode Overview
- Doing recovery for yourself, rather than for courts or family, can make commitment more sustainable.
- Integrity in small choices (like returning a 25-cent item) builds the foundation for bigger life changes.
- Physical activity such as running and obstacle races can support mental, emotional and spiritual recovery.
- Progress often comes from focusing on the next right step today instead of being overwhelmed by the whole journey.
- Past behaviour and a criminal record do not permanently define a person; education, expungement and new careers are possible with persistence.
“People ask if it gets easier. I always tell them, no, I get stronger, and I get smarter.”
Ambere shares how a "cool mum" who let her smoke and drink at home set the stage for early substance use, and how an abusive partner and the shock of being hit while holding her four‑month‑old baby pushed her towards pills as a way to numb out: "These pills can make me feel better… I could be numb." That coping strategy spiralled after the loss of her baby daughter to a rare condition, and later when another child was born in withdrawal.
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Ambere Holmes shows exactly how messy, painful and unexpectedly funny that process can be. Homelessness, jail, stealing from her brain‑injured dad and a string of toxic relationships followed. The tone shifts when Ambere describes sitting in jail on her 30th birthday, starting therapy and realising she had to get clean for herself, not the courts or even her kids.
She talks through the painful moment of telling her 12‑year‑old son that his dad had been killed, and how that tragedy cemented her decision: "Doing it for myself meant my kids would get the best version of me." From there, the episode tracks her steady climb: regaining custody, working low‑paid jobs, then becoming a peer worker, joining Addict II Athlete runs while "barely managing five feet" at first, losing 90 pounds, graduating university with honours, and clearing her criminal record.
She now works in child protection and tackles brutal Spartan races with her husband, insisting on doing every rope climb or every burpee for the sake of integrity. Ambere laughs that her recovery "hasn't been all Oreos and orgasms", but finishes with a line that sticks: life doesn’t get easier, she simply gets stronger and smarter. If you’re wondering whether your past automatically disqualifies you from a better future, this story might make you question that belief.
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