Be A Hero

Be A Hero

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation between host Coach Blu Robinson and guest Desmond Lomax offers a strong contender. Desmond, a former BYU football player turned correctional officer, clinical therapist and now Director of Community Programming for the Department of Corrections, talks frankly about addiction, incarceration, sport and what it really means to be a hero in everyday life.

Blu and Desmond recall a makeshift dirt track, carefully maintained by the men inside, and a 5k where “for that… 45 minutes an hour, they were free.” The athletes rake puddles, proudly wear race bibs, and cheer each other on, proving “people are people” and that their choices “don’t need to define them.” Desmond breaks down heroism in simple, practical terms: “Freedom comes with owning the responsibility of your own consequences” and “a hero does not exist without adversity.” Whether it’s choosing a lettuce wrap over a Big Mac, lacing up for a first 5k, or facing the fear of release from prison, he frames these as daily chances to be heroic rather than reasons to feel like a failure.

You’ll hear how Desmond’s first exposure to substance use came through his older brother’s drug addiction, and how that family pain pushed him towards wanting to help others. He shares his shift from “glorified babysitting in corrections” to becoming a clinician, working inside prison walls to change hearts and minds rather than simply punish behaviour. One of the most striking parts of the episode is the story of bringing Addict II Athlete into the Utah State Prison’s ConQuest programme.

The episode suits anyone in addiction recovery, family members, and those curious about how sport, community and principle-based living can help people step out of shame and into purpose. It quietly asks: where might your own chance to be a hero be hiding today?