Attention to the Details with Amy Donaldson BrassAttention to the Details with Amy Donaldson Brass
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson talks with journalist and runner Amy Donaldson Brass about running as therapy, the courage to be seen, and how sharing stories can lighten shame and grief. Their conversation touches on "The Letter", forgiveness after violent loss, and why connection is vital in addiction recovery.
1:00:06•15 Jul 2024
Attention to the Details: Storytelling, Running and Radical Forgiveness with Amy Donaldson Brass
Episode Overview
- Sharing painful experiences can shrink shame and show you that you’re not alone.
- Running and physical movement can act as powerful tools for emotional healing and connection.
- Grief is an expression of love, and continuing to grieve someone does not mean you are failing to move on.
- Forgiveness is an undeserved gift you primarily give yourself, not a free pass for the person who hurt you.
- You are neither the worst nor the best thing you have ever done; growth comes from what you choose to do next.
“You're not the worst thing you ever did. You're also not the best thing you ever did.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction, grief and shame yet still find a way to keep moving? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and journalist‑turned‑podcaster Amy Donaldson Brass offers a powerful mix of raw honesty and gentle humour for anyone rebuilding life after loss or addiction.
Amy shares how a simple prison 5k with men running in prison slippers shifted her mindset from “I need the perfect conditions” to “bloom where you're planted, dude.” That moment links beautifully to Addict II Athlete’s core message: you have to take every step yourself, but you never have to be alone while you do it. The heart of the chat centres on why stories matter so much in healing.
Amy talks about covering girls’ high school sport and getting a handwritten note thanking her “for seeing us, for paying attention to us,” and how that line – being seen – shaped her whole career. She and Coach Blu connect that same need to people in addiction recovery who often want to stay invisible through shame.
Amy opens up about domestic abuse, her daughter's congenital heart defect, and her work on the podcast "The Letter", which follows a family, a survivor and a man serving life in prison after a 1996 shooting. She admits, “I let it sink me. I let it spiral me,” but explains that the stories she chooses are about people who don’t stay in the dark.
Forgiveness, she says, is “a gift you give yourself,” and grief is simply love that has nowhere to go. If you’re wrestling with whether to share your own story, or wondering if forgiveness is even possible, this episode might nudge you to ask: what pain are you carrying that could get lighter if you stopped carrying it alone?
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