Our Inspirations: Phoenix Multisport and Scott Strode
I read a great article in the October 12, 2016 edition of the Philly Voice entitled Recovering Addicts Using Cross Fit to Exercise their Demons and wanted to share it with you. The article tells the story of Scott Strode who has been sober from alcohol and cocaine for nineteen years. About eight years ago he founded Phoenix Multisport in Boulder, Colorado.
Scott integrated hiking, weight training and other forms of exercise into his own recovery. Following what worked for him, Scott founded Phoenix Multisport to integrate exercise into on overall twelve-step program. At Phoenix Multisport people recovering from substance abuse along with anyone else who chooses to live sober, come to train in a gym setting and enhance their twelve-step program. The types of physical activity at Phoenix include: climbing, hiking, running, strength training, yoga, and road/mountain biking. Beyond the numerous physical pursuits, Multisport also offers social events which help build a sense of community among participants. Phoenix Multisport has expanded beyond Boulder and presently offers programs in numerous cities in Colorado; Orange County, California; Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The organization’s goal is simple: “To expand people’s sober community while creating a safe environment.” The organization acknowledges: “people choosing to live a sober lifestyle often find it necessary to make changes to many aspects of their lives, including their social circles, in order to maintain sobriety. Abrupt changes in lifestyle can lead to loss of support networks, and often cause people to become isolated.” Phoenix Multisport fills a void for someone in recovery by providing positive social and physical activities that support a healthy lifestyle. The program helps people in recovery build “a new identity as a sober athlete in place of adrug addict or alcoholic.”
The inspirational work accomplished by Scott and everyone at Phoenix Multisport has helped save lives and improve the quality of life for so many already in recovery. At Spiritual Adrenaline we hope to see Scott’s brainchild spread across all fifty states.
If you are interested in reading the Philly Voice article, go to www.phillyvoice.com/recovering-addicts-using-crossfit-to-exercise-their-demons. Also, check out the Phoenix Multisport website at www.phoenixmultisport.org.If you know of any individual or organization that is using exercise and/or nutrition as part of an overall twelve-step program and would like to share their story, let us know. Send us an email at blog@spiritualadrenaline.me.