Not Your Average Gym Rat: How CrossFit Saved Me
Today (September 27th) is a “rest day” according to CrossFit’s Workout Of the Day (WOD).
While many of you may be taking a hike or going for a swim for your rest day, Jeremy Plummer will be holding Sober Sunday at his Florida box and welcoming those in recovery to train. Today though — likely means more for him than most everyone else on the mat. Today is Jeremy’s four-year sobriety date. Today, Jeremy will welcome every sore muscle and drop of sweat as a reminder of what saved him: CrossFit.
I know what you’re thinking…. Jeremy’s just another CrossFit maniac who consumes way too much kale and protein powder, but you’re wrong.
“It took many years of pain and suffering to realize I wasn’t going to do it on my own.”
Four years ago, Jeremy was discharged from his third addiction treatment center after battling an addiction to cocaine and heroin, and was working toward staying sober, in Florida. He’d been in and out of treatment programs with various levels of success and damaged some of the relationships he held dear, like with his little sister Hayley.
During this last inpatient stay, Jeremy was introduced to more alternative therapies like mindfulness and exercise — concepts he could practice independently outside of rehab. Jeremy joined his local box and went to as many open gyms as he could make, committed to his sobriety and breaking the shame he felt around the stigma of “being an addict.”
“The gym was like the sanctuary.”
Eventually the regulars at the gym took notice of Jeremy’s commitment and the meditative air around him during training. One coach, in particular, heard his story of recovery and instead of seeing “an addict” he saw a man committed to himself and his community. This coach sponsored Jeremy to get his CrossFit Level 1 coaching certificate and had him begin meeting with clients.
“The thing that was my biggest source of shame is now, probably, my greatest gift.”
That seed of confidence blossomed until one day Jeremy was able to open a non-profit, Recovery Through Repetition, and give back to people in recovery. Jeremy designed fitness programs to focus on overall wellness, community, and meditation. All of the money earned from Recovery Through Repetition is used to help cover the costs of personal training licenses, beautician licenses, and more for those in recovery.
The moment Hayley walked through the doors of Recovery Through Repetition and saw the work Jeremy was doing with others in recovery she was moved. For years the sibling dichotomy had been flipped as Hayley was tasked with looking out for her older brother. Now, Hayley is forced to hold back tears nearly every time she speaks about the success of her big brother.
Now, four years after treatment, the siblings have not just rekindled their relationship, they have partnered to bring exercise and mindfulness to addiction treatment elsewhere. Hayley is in the final leg of her Doctor of Nursing Program at Arizona State University and has partnered with a drug and alcohol rehab in Arizona called The Hope House.
“I kind of get choked up when I think about it, especially when I see how much passion [my sister] has for it.”
Hayley will spend the majority of her fall semester working with patients receiving inpatient treatment at the residential facility. Whether patients are struggling with alcohol abuse or addicted to opiates, Jeremy and Hayley have designed a workout regimen that will help them focus on sobriety while respecting where they are at in their journey.
The program is called: The DREAMER Project (Defying Relapse through Exercise And Mindfulness to Extend Recovery). Hayley and her fellow nursing students will meet with patients three times a week for a three-week program instructing them on group fitness routines they can complete outside of rehab, healthy lifestyle habits, and mindfulness practices.
“[My sobriety] really is everything… it’s the foundation of my life, honestly.”
In honor of Jeremy’s commitment to recovery and his four-year sobriety date, Hayley is launching The DREAMER Project today, September 27th. Hayley’s hope is to use this partnership to lay the academic foundation for exercise and mindfulness as a viable supplemental treatment for addiction that can be used in rehab and after.
This article is a part of a series The Hope House is doing for National Recovery Month to help people better understand the negative stigma that surrounds addiction and become more knowledgeable about addiction recovery in general.
For the series, we told the inspiring recovery story of our Admissions Director, Patrick, and published a Q&A with our Clinical Director, Brenna, on how COVID-19 has impacted addiction.
