How To Let Go

How To Let Go

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on Addict II Athlete zooms in on one huge skill: learning how to let go of the past so it stops running the show. Coach Blu Robinson and athletic director Marissa chat through why clinging to old pain, trauma, addiction stories or toxic relationships can feel like dragging a tyre behind you in a race.

Their mascot “Wally” – a battered tyre athletes sometimes pull during events – becomes the perfect symbol of resistance that makes you stronger, as long as you eventually unclip the rope and move on. With plenty of humour and real-life examples, they unpack the team’s “erase and replace” philosophy: if you remove an addiction or negative habit and don’t intentionally fill the gap, something unhelpful will slip in.

So they break down practical ways to move forward, from creating a personal mantra (“I am” statements, little-engine-that-could style) to literally writing what you’re letting go of on your running shoes and wearing the word off mile by mile. They also talk about setting physical and emotional distance from toxic people, staying in your own lane instead of fixing everyone else, and using mindfulness to stop anxiety about the future or replaying the past.

Grief gets honest treatment too – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance aren’t neat steps, and that’s okay. One of the strongest messages is around self-compassion: “Holding on to the past can be a conscious decision, just like letting go and moving forward can be a conscious decision.” The pair urge anyone stuck in old hurt to consider self-care, healthier friendships, and, where needed, professional help, so painful stories don’t get passed on to the next generation.

If your history feels like an anchor rather than a lesson, this chat might have you asking: what tyre am I still dragging, and am I ready to finally let it go?