Podcast XTRA: Q&A with Carrie Bates

Podcast XTRA: Q&A with Carrie Bates

How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This Q&A with three-time Olympic gold medal swimmer turned recovery professional Carrie Bates shows one striking example – and offers plenty of practical ideas for parents, families, and employers along the way.

Speaking with a panel of parents, Carrie shares how a glossy career in global sports marketing hid a “really big secret” – severe alcoholism that led to four residential treatment stays and the loss of legal custody of her children. At around four years sober, she decided to go public and start working in treatment, where she now answers “that 10,000‑pound phone” for people asking for help. Stigma comes up fast.

Carrie explains that standing up and honestly sharing “who and what I had become in this disease” is her most effective tool. When someone many people admired as an athlete says she struggled too, it helps “normalise substance use disorder and other behavioural health issues” and quietly chips away at shame. Parents worried about prevention will hear a clear message: start at home.

Carrie believes “so much prevention and awareness work can be done at our own kitchen tables,” especially where there’s a known family history and genetic risk that kids deserve to know about. The conversation then shifts to workplaces and practical changes companies can make, from recovery‑friendly cultures to questioning alcohol‑centred events like “thirsty Thursday” and adding mocktail options.

She also touches on gender‑specific treatment, especially important where trauma is involved, stressing that “our freedom lies in our truth” and people need the safest possible space to be open. Finally, Carrie offers grounded advice on finding ethical treatment, warning against relying on a quick internet search and urging families to lean on referrals, reputable organisations, and existing insurance benefits.

If you’re a parent, partner, or employer trying to support someone with substance use issues, this conversation might be the honest, down‑to‑earth guide you’ve been looking for.