AIFA Conversation with Gregg Adams

AIFA Conversation with Gregg Adams

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with baseball coach and fitness fanatic Gregg Adams offers a raw, honest look at grief, alcohol, and rebuilding life one small decision at a time. Gregg talks through his early drinking in high school and college, where alcohol stayed mostly in the “fun and social” lane while sport stayed front and centre. Years later, that balance shattered.

Bills piled up, utilities were shut off, and he recalls thinking, “I’m trying to survive, and I’m not doing a really good job at it.” A friend finally confronted him, handing back a quote Gregg once shared in his own coaching days: “Life pays the price that you ask of it.” That moment, plus seeing himself in the mirror “as the most unhealthiest person in the world”, pushed Gregg to admit he had a drinking problem, reach out for help, and call a cab to an AA meeting.

As his wife Leslie’s lupus worsened, dialysis became a nightly routine and hospital visits stacked up. Their son’s diagnosis with type 1 diabetes added another layer of pressure to an already crushing load. Gregg explains how, after a doctor calmly told him Leslie had six to twelve months to live, drinking slowly shifted from occasional relaxation to something much darker.

He shares how his son became his biggest motivation to stay sober, and how physical training, early-morning swims and solo gym sessions now keep his mind steady. Gregg’s relationship with AA is flexible rather than dogmatic, showing another path that some people take in recovery. Today, he talks about losing 35 pounds, dropping blood pressure meds, and saying, without irony, “I have the greatest life of anybody you’ve ever met,” while still openly grieving his wife.

If you’re juggling loss, parenting, or just trying to get honest about your drinking, Gregg’s story might be the nudge you need to ask what price you’re really asking of your own life.