Only about three million people of 23 million people with addictions and mental illnesses get help. And many experts believe stigma around mental health diseases is what stops more folks from getting help.
So there’s this movement afoot to get people in recovery to spread the message that A. addiction is a disease and B. we can recover or at least live symptom-free from that disease.
Notice I said there’s a movement “afoot.” And I’m writing about a 6K race called “Heroes in Recovery.” Because I’m so punny!
This Saturday (Sept. 13) in Leiper’s Fork, several hundred racers – many in recovery themselves – will do the fourth annual “Heroes in Recovery” race.
Why a 6K instead of a 5K?
“That extra kilometer is symbolic of going the extra distance to maintain sobriety,” says Heidi Huerta with the Foundations Recovery Network, the creator and main sponsor of the race.
There are seven such Heroes in Recovery races across the country, in places like Michigan, North Carolina and Boston.
But hey, we in Middle Tennessee had the first one!
The other cool thing about our race is that it benefits The Next Door program, which helps women with addictions who have recently been in jail or prison.
Most of those women have never run a race before, or really run or jogged at all. But volunteer coaches help train them.
And on race day, there are always a dozen or so women from The Next Door who do their first race ever.
“It’s really emotional for a lot of them. You’ll see everything from tears to tears,” said Jeff Skillen, 45, a Franklin business consultant and avid runner who has raced in every Heroes in Recovery event since it started.
“It’s about setting a goal and achieving it. A lot of us take for granted what it means to set a goal and achieve it. For a lot of them, they’re not sure they can,” Jeff said.
“When it culminates and ends in accomplishment, it’s a really big deal.”
Do you have goose bumps? I do.
I myself will be participating, and I don’t run or jog anywhere – unless the Shoney’s breakfast buffet’s about to close.
So I’m a little nervous.
But, Heidi tells me, “we do have access to medical attention.”
They also provide healthy food, music and fellowship after the race.
Jeff says he’s not an addict but the disease has shown up in extended family and friends.
“It’s time we quit whispering about it and start drawing attention to it,” he says.
“It’s funny, there’s so much attention brought to all sorts of causes where people are supposed to be strong with cancer treatment, AIDS awareness, LGBT — it’s amazing that this issue doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
So here’s the link:
http://www.heroesinrecovery.com/heroes6k/leipers-fork-tn/
Come join us!
My friends Carrie and Chuck and John and Heather and Brandie and Ed and Ashlynn and a bunch of other folks are gonna be there. And a lot of us will be walking, and probably laughing a lot.
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