WARNING: age appropriate content included on this podcast.

We just don’t ever know someone’s story until we hear them tell it.

Chris, like Senora P. Meyer, Tate Whitlinger, Juan De La Cruz and the rest of the Grateful Runners, all have a story. Their challenges and struggles are all so real to me, and they worked or are working their tails off to overcome.

Just like we are all trying to overcome something in our life. This group? It’s drugs and alcohol addiction. You and me and your neighbor and the kid at school and that co-worker? Maybe they have the same addiction...but maybe theirs is something totally different.

Likely most of us are fighting some ghosts in the closet. Because it’s life. It’s tough. But the fight is worth it and that’s why we persevere.

And we can relate. Maybe not to being in jail like Chris, but fighting to get past our trouble and get ourselves into a more joyful state of mind.

On Sept. 7 in Oshkosh, Dutrirun will host a 5k/10k race called Rethink Addiction, calling awareness to drug and alcohol addiction. We sure would love to see you all there. So, too, would the community that attends this event.

Chris is no longer a story. He’s a real person who has suffered, hurt himself and others, is remorseful, and is trying to make something out of the hopefully long and cleaner life ahead of him. I’m encouraged by Chris and using Tate’s phrase Grateful - extremely grateful - that our paths have crossed. I see Chris as another brother in Life’s family of which we are all entwined.

Along with Carrie Miller, we look forward to seeing you all in two weeks at the event in Oshkosh. We appreciate our sponsor, Nicolet Bank, for their endless support of what we do at OnPace.