Addiction is a challenge many people face on daily basis; while organizations increase their support and many work hard to raise awareness, there is still work to be done.
Greg Rider, a singer-songwriter who is living in Wheatland County, is hoping to make his impact felt when he completes a 12 hour solo walk on October 12.
It will be one year for Rider on October 12th since he made the choice to quit drinking. He said that although he hadn't hit rock bottom yet he felt that he was using alcohol to cope when he was struggling or being out and not being able to stop at just one was a problem.
Rider made the move from Nashville back home to Ontario and now to Alberta, "A bunch of things were happening in my life. Down in Nashville, my band moved on and got picked up by a signed artist and everything started kind of closing for me. Instead of fighting back and really starting to build my name back up in Nashville, I decided just to go home because something in my heart told me that."
One morning Rider woke up and felt that he had to make a change, "Last October I woke up after Thanksgiving. I was really hungover and I just had a night of drinking and I took a long, hard look at myself in the mirror and was like, I'm not where I want to be. There are so many things I want to do still with my life, and I feel like time is just getting away from me."
Rider was recognizing a scary pattern of behaviour, explaining that every time he felt things were closing in on him or that he had hit rock bottom he turned to alcohol, nicotine, or drugs and this time he couldn't let that happen.
Being a year sober has changed the way Rider sees the world and himself, and he wanted to do something to celebrate a year of sobriety. After listening to a podcast from Colin O'Brady talking about completing a 12 hour walk alone to clear the mind to prove to yourself you can do anything you set your mind to, Rider has decided on October 12 on his one-year anniversary that he will do just that.
Rider explained that he is not just walking for himself, he also hopes to bring awareness to something that plagues so many people in Canada and across the world. His walk will be in support of the Calgary-based organization called the Terminator Foundation.
"They actually do recovery-based training, so they help people that are in recovery train for their first triathlon. They give you all the gear and they give you the training facilities and they help people. The whole idea is when you quit a bad habit, you need to pick up a good habit, you need to replace it."
Rider said that he is not asking anyone to donate money directly to him for his walk, as he is completing that for himself and for those who are on the same path, but that if people are wanting to help and don't know where to start the Terminator Foundation is changing lives on a daily basis and it is a place anyone who wanted to help could offer support to.
The changes Rider has seen in his life over the past 12 months through rediscovering his love of music, finding a new drive to live each day to the absolute fullest and a goal of being someone who can make an impact throughout his life, no longer just feeling as though he is taking something but giving more back, something he feels he may not have done a year ago.
Wanting to continue making music, Rider is working to find a way to continue to impact those who listen to his music, "I wrote 16 sticks, which was the Humboldt Broncos tribute, and that was the one song that really carried me through the pandemic because it showed me that when I write real music about real stories and really use my music to help people... It's amazing the impact that you can make with it."
Rider said walking this path can be lonely but he feels that you will meet the people along the way that will support you as you work to be the best version of yourself and if there are people that you feel are weighing you down let them go.
For those who struggle with substance abuse, there are resources throughout Alberta Health Services and non-profit organizations like the Terminator Foundation, along with many others across the province.
Click below to hear the full interview and Greg journey to his 12-hour walk on October 12th!
Fri, May 3, 10:00 AM
