Creating a Path to WellnessCreating a Path to Wellness
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu talks with Katie Hankey about her journey from food addiction, opioids and alcohol misuse to structured recovery, wellness coaching and service to others. The conversation shares her experiences of trauma, treatment and the disciplined life she builds to stay alcohol and drug free.
1:15:26•25 Apr 2022
From 50 Prescriptions to Wonder Woman Strength: Katie Hankey’s Journey
Episode Overview
- Addiction can start with seemingly harmless coping, such as comfort eating, long before drugs or alcohol enter the picture.
- Relying on multiple prescriptions to dull pain and emotion may leave a person numb rather than genuinely healing underlying issues.
- Honest self-admission—like calling a doctor to confess misuse—can be the crucial first step toward meaningful change.
- Structured routines, work, movement and supportive relationships can give recovery the discipline and stability it needs.
- Helping others through coaching or peer support can keep personal recovery on track and turn past pain into purposeful service.
“I need to be the person I needed 20 years ago.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation on Addict II Athlete follows Katie Hankey, whose story stretches from childhood comfort eating to collegiate sport, opioid dependence, heavy drinking and, eventually, a life centred on wellness and service. Katie talks about early patterns with food, saying she "ate for comfort" and never questioned it.
Sport became her outlet, taking her to college on a soccer scholarship, but the structure of school and athletics suddenly vanished when she dropped out after a few chaotic months. What followed was a gradual slide through multiple mental health diagnoses, a cocktail of psych meds, and escalating physical illness. At one point, Katie weighed 380 pounds, carried 26 medical diagnoses, took around 50 prescriptions and relied on high-dose opioids.
She describes taking “20 Percocet and 10 morphine a day,” spending two weeks high and two weeks in withdrawal, barely remembering her children being little. Her account of self-harm, hospital stays, a devastating rape, and a DUI is raw, unedited and painfully honest. Coach Blu holds space with compassion and curiosity, asking the questions many people wish someone had asked them at their own breaking point.
The turning point comes when Katie decides she has "had enough" and calls her doctor to admit she’s abusing her medication. From there, she goes through cold-turkey withdrawal, intensive outpatient treatment, and begins rebuilding her life with strict structure, daily work, and movement. Encouraged by her partner Paul, a former trainer, Katie retrains as a wellness, addiction and mental health coach.
She talks about running, lifting, arm wrestling, and leading a women’s wellness group, all while staying accountable by helping others. As she puts it, “I need to be the person I needed 20 years ago.” If you’ve ever wondered whether a life this far gone can be rebuilt, this story might have you asking what ‘Wonder Woman’ strength you’re hiding too.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.