While alcoholic falls from grace are as common as they are tragic, there isn’t often an Olympic pedestal involved somewhere in the story. Unfortunately for three-time Olympic champion Carrie Steinseifer Bates, her story has one in it. Her decades-long plunge into alcoholism didn’t just devastate her family and destroy relationships—it almost erased her monumental athletic achievements from memory. “When you have somewhat of a public life, your problems aren’t any worse or more dramatic,” she says, “but everyone in my community knew.

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Ryan David Leaf is an advocate for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues and encourages audiences to transform the way we think about mental health issues and addiction. Ryan works to eliminate the mental health stigma and says, “asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.”

The former quarterback had a stellar career at Washington State, which included Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year (1997), First Team All-American, Sammy Baugh Quarterback of the Year, and Heisman Trophy finalist. He also led the Cougars to the ’97 Rose Bowl. Leaf was selected No. 2 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and spent four years in the league. Ryan is currently the CEO and President of RAM Consultant, Inc., as well as a program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community.

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John Mabry’s story of addiction begins where most people end. At 22, he was involved in a horrific SUV accident that claimed his right leg as well as the life of his friend. (The vehicle flipped 10 times in less than 10 seconds.) It’s the sort of shocking, violent twist that takes place in Act 2 in most screenplays about substance abuse. Not for Mabry. This happened during the opening credits of his life story. It wasn’t until after John survived the accident that he found himself in a private hell of painkillers and alcohol that very nearly took everything he held dear. Years later, his bout with addiction has become the backbone of a remarkable recovery, which now sees him as a counselor, motivational speaker, triathlete (yes, you read that right), and a proud, married father of three who uses his past weaknesses as present strengths

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The injuries caused me to endure numerous knee surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation. To deal with the pain, I was prescribed Opioids. After months and months of therapy, the department and doctors determined that my injuries would prevent me from doing the job effectively and could place others at risk. It was decided that I would be medically retired from the department.

For the next few years, I struggled with being retired. The day after turning in my equipment, I felt ostracized and not a part of the brotherhood. I honestly felt like I had lost my support team. I had no access to the building; I could not walk in and see my partners. They were busy, and I felt they had forgotten about me. This was a huge blow to my ego. One day you’re chasing bad guys, and the next, you’re picking up your kid’s toys. It was a difficult transition. At this time, my addiction took control of my emotions, and I began to spin out of control, and I proceeded to self-medicate.

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Manny Mendez received his school of hard knocks diploma in some of the hardest correctional institutes since he was a youth. After gaining his physical freedom he began a long journey to free his mind from the prison of addiction. Throughout all of this, his comfort came in the form of creating art. His work has been featured in many exhibits and recovery centers throughout the nation. Featured in several films through his national organization FoReel, Manny is a true inspiration.

Listen here: Manny Mendez journey to addiction recovery