THE TRUDGING BUDDIES
We asked these clean and sober members of The Trudging Buddies—a community of sober adventurers and allies committed to fitness, fellowship, and service—how joining the group has helped them in their recovery
POSITIVE IMPACT
“Trudging Buddies brings together two things that have deeply shaped my life: One is the power of community in recovery, and the other is the positive impact of fitness on mental and physical health. For me, recovery is about more than just staying sober. It’s about building a life filled with purpose, connection and growth. I feel like the Trudging Buddies shares those values, and I think that’s how they’ve made an influence on my life and in my recovery. I was kind of a lone wolf when I was out there, but I think the group defines the power of what community looks like in recovery and the members are just an example of the positive impact of fitness, and how it influences mental and physical health and building a life of connections and purpose.”
—Matthew Chavez, sober since February 16, 2020.
SENSE OF PURPOSE
“I got introduced to Trudging Buddies my second year of my recovery. Somebody told me that, aside from meetings and doing the work, it would be good to connect with sober guys who did the AIDS/LifeCycle. I just never thought that would be something within my reach. I was not an athletic person, and I looked at cycling as a sport. Cycling has become a big part of my life now, and I do it almost every week, purely recreationally, even after ALC. I credit our team buddies for that. It certainly kept me sober. It gives me a sense of purpose and a new hobby. And look, with cycling, and training rides, I have to be up at like 7am, or 6am on the weekend, so that really helps me stay sober.”
—Erik Thong, sober since October 1, 2022.
SERVICE ORIENTED
“I got connected to Trudging Buddies when they were doing AIDS/LifeCycle in 2022. Training for ALC, I had something to do every single weekend. It just kept me accountable. Within a few months, they became my tribe. I just kept showing up. Today as I look at my life, all of my close friends, even my husband, I met them through the Trudging Buddies. Now it’s more than a cycling group. It’s a sober adventurer’s group for guys who are into things like swimming, running, and other athletics. We also have so many other social programs where we feed the homeless and during the holidays, we partner with other treatment centers to go and help them decorate. We are service oriented. That’s, the forefront of what we do, which is being of service. Last year, I became a member of the board, because I wanted, to be able to carry on the legacy of the organization that was so instrumental in my early recovery.”
—Stephen Michael, sober since July 26, 2022.
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