Todd Crandell - Sylvania, OH

Drug use and drinking destroyed my life. In my 20's I had gone from being a promising hockey player on my way to a professional career to a homeless, starving and drug-addicted ghost of myself. After several brutal and harrowing encounters with rock-bottoms over 13 years, I decided to quit cold-turkey on April 15, 1993. Then I took up triathlons, and found that athletic effort helped me overcome my addictions.

I now compete regularly in triathlons, including Ironman, work as a professional speaker and drug counselor, and run a foundation (Racing for Recovery) helping others to use sports and other positive endeavors to prevent or escape addiction.

One of the things I personally found discouraging with the traditional 12-step programs was that mainly it involved a lot of talk about staying sober but didn't really offer anything physically to stay away from addiction. Our mission at Racing for Recovery is to prevent all forms of substance abuse and to provide positive alternatives for those currently battling addictions by encouraging a lifestyle of fitness and health through 5K Run/Walk events across the nation.

Racing for Recovery has been featured on the nationally syndicated Mitch Albom Radio Show, ESPN's Cold Pizza, CNN, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated.com, FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC News, Runner's World and Triathlete Magazines, and a host of radio, newspaper and magazine interviews across the United States and throughout the world.

Todd Crandell has written a book about his struggle with addiction and his successful recovery called, Racing for Recovery, From Addict to Ironman. To learn more about Todd's story and the Racing for Recovery organization go to www.racingforrecovery.com.