On this weeks episode of One For The Road I am joined by Steve Smith. Steve was born in Barking, Essex, and grew up in the 80s and 90s on a typical UK housing estate, where childhood meant knocking on other kids’ doors, building bike ramps and playing outside until it got dark. His parents loved a drink, but it was always harmless, social fun — garden parties, Christmas and New Year gatherings, with people often coming and going until the early hours. Alcohol was always present, yet never to a point where it was questioned, and from an early age Steve came to associate alcohol with fun. Inspired by the film Cocktail, Steve became a flair bartender and, throughout the 1990s, worked in the West End of London during a time when bartending carried a distinctly rock ’n’ roll lifestyle — long nights, heavy drinking and early starts were simply part of the culture. In 2000, he became World Flair Bartending Champion. After losing his mum to ovarian cancer, Steve ran the London Marathon in 2009 for Macmillan Cancer Support, which sparked a long-term love of endurance sport. For many years, that sat alongside a belief that alcohol wasn’t an issue — often using marathons as proof of that. In 2020, while training for his first Ironman, Steve decided to take a break from alcohol. The break stuck. Since then, he has completed five full-distance Ironman races and multiple ultramarathons, including the Winter Downs 200 — a non-stop 200-mile race across southern England in December.

Going alcohol-free didn’t change who Steve was — it changed what he believed was possible.

insta: @Steve Smith

web:www.soberilliant.com

linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-smith-5917519a/

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

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