Team StrengthTeam Strength
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu talks with coach Angie and athlete Roxy about how the Cache County Addict II Athlete chapter blends recovery, running and service. They share stories of grief, community, and the belief that there is a place for everyone on the team, whether in addiction, in support, or in memory of someone lost.
1:12:10•3 Sept 2019
Team Strength: How Addict II Athlete Builds Community, One Run at a Time
Episode Overview
- Recovery groups can thrive when they blend professional support with grassroots community effort and shared leadership.
- Exercise, especially running, offers a simple way to process emotions and can make using substances after a workout far less appealing.
- Including family members and non-using supporters broadens the support network and reduces stigma around addiction.
- Service projects, such as demolishing unsafe structures or supporting children’s charities, help athletes replace past harm with meaningful contribution.
- Proxy running allows people to honour loved ones who have died or are still struggling, turning grief into purpose and ongoing connection.
“There is a place for everybody here. And you don't know how you're impacting other people's lives when you're just being you and when you're being real.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? Team Strength from Addict II Athlete drops you straight into the heart of the Cache County chapter, where recovery meets running shoes and community spirit. Coach Blu Robinson chats first with coach and therapist Angie White, whose life has been shaped by both family addiction and decades in fire and EMS.
She explains how a shared idea among friends became a fully fledged chapter, built through sheer commitment and a lot of motorway miles to other meetings before Cache County had its own group. Angie’s passion for behaviour change shines through as she talks about watching people move, quite literally, from "early recovery" to leading and serving on the team.
You’ll hear how athletes like James Brown keep showing up long after programme requirements end, and how the group pulled together to demolish a dangerous old garage for a woman recovering from a liver transplant. As Angie puts it, "There is a place for everybody here," including family members and people without addictions who just care about recovery.
The second half centres on athlete Roxy, a self-described non-addict who runs in memory of her godson Jeremy, carrying his photo on her shoe at every event. She shares how proxy running helps her turn grief into action and how she’s seen young participants, like a formerly withdrawn mental health court client, grow into chatty, engaged team members. The style is warm, chatty and very human – part support group, part locker-room banter.
It’s ideal for anyone in recovery, family members feeling helpless on the sidelines, or professionals wanting a fresh, community-led approach. Expect talk of races, relapse, grief, service projects and plenty of laughter about early-morning starts and brutal hill runs. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not an athlete, so this isn’t for me,” this conversation might gently prove you wrong – whose name would you lace onto your shoes?
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