Ohio, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ST. GEORGE, Utah (May 6, 2022) – Beginning more than 20 years ago, Toledo, Ohio’s Todd Crandell had taken on mind-stretching endeavors like his own addiction recovery that would have humbled and level-set mere mortals while also tapping himself with competing in the upcoming IRONMAN World Championship.
As formidable as the legendary Kona, Hawaii IRONMAN course has loomed, the 2022 version of the event, in the red rock and sagebrush scarcity of St. George, Utah is a huge challenge. The Utah race on May 7th, 2022 will be Crandell’s 93rd IRONMAN event, as well as the first time in IRONMAN history that the historic World Championships will be held in a different location.
The tune up for next week’s event was completing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in St. George last September – Crandell’s 90th IRONMAN finish.
With every mile, Crandell runs, bikes and swims farther away from the life he once lived, but closer to the countless people that he has helped in Toledo, Ohio with Racing for Recovery, his federally approved counseling practice devoted to addiction recovery.
Crandell, who overcame a 13-year addiction to drugs and alcohol, has had his hand to the pulse of a massive American problem that needs more and better trained practitioners to stem the rising tide of devastated lives. In addition to being an IRONMAN, Crandell is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC-S) and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor (LICDC-CS).
Crandell’s organization Racing for Recovery offers free individual counseling, an intensive outpatient program and support group meetings for those who are self-harming with drugs and alcohol; and, their families and the community. It’s designed to be an alternative to other recovery programs, with a focus on promoting a lifestyle of health, fitness, and sobriety.
How does the marathon of addiction recovery pair with the scale of triathlons?
Data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before. Additionally sobering is the fact that 85% of individuals who seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction make a choice to return to drugs and alcohol within a year of treatment, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Tackling a full-distance IRONMAN course almost seems like similar odds. An IRONMAN involves a 2.4-mile swim; a 112-mile bike ride (visualize St. George to Las Vegas being 119.4 miles); and a marathon distance 26.2-mile run, totaling 140.6 miles. IRONMAN events have a 7% to 14% DNF (Did Not Finish) rate.
By pounding towards his goal of 100 IRONMAN finishes by October 2022, Crandell hopes that his mile-by-grueling-mile ascent will be a guidelight to many fellow Americans (and their families) who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.
Crandell’s goal is growing Racing for Recovery into an in-patient facility. Following his 100th IRONMAN, he plans to leverage that momentum and focus on taking Racing for Recovery to the next level – helping even more people by offering a place where struggling those who are self-harming with drugs and alcohol and their families can go to focus on themselves and face the challenge of getting sober.
Track Todd Crandell’s epic journey at Racing for Recovery and reach out if you or your family need help.
Racing for Recovery, of Toledo, Ohio, provides prevention and recovery services, such as counseling, speaking engagements, interventions, and court-ordered assessments and is a federally approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
To contact Racing for Recovery:
• 6202 Trust Dr., Holland, Ohio 43528
• Call 419.824.8462 or FAX 419.517.0514
• Email: toddcrandell@racingforrecovery.com; Website: racingforrecovery.org
• Media contact: Whitney Rofkar (419-283-7609; whitney@threadgroup.com)
Attachments
