One on One with Coach Blu: 10 Years of Service!One on One with Coach Blu: 10 Years of Service!
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu and Marisa celebrate ten years of Addict II Athlete, sharing stories, core principles and future plans for a volunteer-led recovery community. The conversation highlights sport, family involvement and positive psychology as key tools for turning addiction struggles into strengths.
1:05:27•1 May 2021
Ten Years Strong: How Addict II Athlete Turned Recovery into a Team Sport
Episode Overview
- Addict II Athlete focuses on “erasing” addiction and “replacing” it with healthier behaviours, rather than centring identity around being an addict.
- The team promotes positive psychology, sport and community as practical tools for building a new lifestyle in recovery.
- All chapters and activities are volunteer-run, with patreon and donations helping fund events, resources and support for individuals and families.
- Family involvement is strongly encouraged, with kids’ programmes and open meetings designed for loved ones as well as those in recovery.
- Future plans include online recovery courses, family tracks and sober coach training to keep support accessible and affordable.
“All behaviour is learned, which means behaviour can be unlearned.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This milestone chat with Coach Blu and Athletic Director Marisa Robinson looks back on a decade of Addict II Athlete, blending funny race stories, honest reflections, and a clear message: recovery can be active, family-focused, and hopeful. Across the conversation, you’ll hear how a simple idea grew into a 10-year movement, 200 podcast episodes, multiple chapters and even a prison-based team – all run entirely by volunteers.
The pair unpack the team’s core philosophy of “erase and replace”, stressing that “an addict is not who you are” and challenging the old expectation to introduce yourself as an addict forever.
As Marisa puts it, “All behaviour is learned, which means behaviour can be unlearned.” You’ll also get a feel for the community spirit that holds this project together: night relays, county-to-county runs, softball leagues in public rec programmes, kids’ events, and the powerful moment athletes first wore their Addict II Athlete shirts in public.
Light humour runs throughout, whether they’re laughing about early DIY t-shirts that faded after one wash or Coach Blu being told to throw away his Garmin at a 50-miler. Beyond the memories, the episode sets out where the team is heading: online recovery programmes, family tracks, coach training and sober coach certification, plus continued support through patreon and donations. They’re keen on keeping costs low so more people can access help without breaking the bank.
If you like recovery stories with a mix of grit, sport, family life and practical tools, this conversation gives a grounded look at how one grassroots idea has turned “the mess of addiction into the message of sobriety” for countless athletes. It might just spark a question: what could your own version of “erase and replace” look like?
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