Athlete's Voices; The Role of Sports in Addiction RecoveryAthlete's Voices; The Role of Sports in Addiction Recovery
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Former professional athletes and clinicians share candid stories about opioid addiction, pressure, and identity loss in sport, and how connection and movement now support their recovery. The conversation highlights practical ways sport can be reshaped into a tool for healing instead of harm.
1:34:37•21 Mar 2022
From Painkillers to Purpose: How Sport Supports Addiction Recovery
Episode Overview
- Playing through pain and the fear of being replaced can fuel long-term dependence on opioids and other medications.
- Addiction often shifts from managing physical pain to numbing fear, insecurity, and the emotional strain of elite sport.
- Open conversation, vulnerability, and connection are key; as several guests repeat, it’s okay to not be okay, but you must ask for help.
- Movement-based approaches like group runs and team-style activities can create space for honest sharing and support in recovery.
- Comprehensive care that addresses trauma, brain health, physical pain, and mental health together offers a clearer path to lasting sobriety.
“It’s okay to not be okay, but you’ve got to raise your hand and ask for help.”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This crossover episode brings together former NFL players, a pro wrestler, a kicker, a mental health clinician, and a brain-health specialist to talk openly about painkillers, pressure, and finding a way back through sport.
Hosted on the Athletes Voices platform and re-shared on Addict II Athlete, you’ll hear NFL veteran centre Randy Grimes, ex-49ers kicker Joe Nedney, WWE wrestler Mike Bennett, counsellor and Addict II Athlete founder Blu Robinson, and clinician Chase Wade, all guided by moderator Joanne Pasternak. Their focus is simple but raw: how a culture of toughness and “stay on the field at any cost” pushed them into opioid addiction, and how sport later became part of their recovery toolkit.
Randy admits to playing “entire NFL football games in a blackout,” while Joe describes going from post‑game pain relief to “over 20 Vicodin or Percocet a day.” Mike shares how pills stopped being about injuries and started being about numbing fear and insecurity: “As soon as I got sober… I realised my addiction was less about the pain and more about what was going on up here.” Blu explains how running groups and team-style support help “erase addiction and replace it” with healthier identities, and Chase outlines a comprehensive medical and psychological approach to treating pain, trauma, and substance use in athletes.
There’s no sugar-coating. Throughout, they keep circling back to vulnerability, connection, and the message that “it’s okay to not be okay” – and that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. If you’ve ever used sport to escape, or felt trapped by an athletic identity, this conversation might be the perspective shift you’ve been waiting for. Where could your own “mess into a message” journey start today?
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