LA athlete, 31, who spent most of his life on heroin shares his inspiring story to sobriety

Taylor Reichelt, a funny, fit and infectiously energetic content creator and former sushi chef from Los Angeles, spent most of his life on bathroom floors, desperately searching for veins to shoot up. 

He is just 31, but he was 12 when he first tried drugs, and they took hold of him. 

At first it was just weed, which he liked. It helped him to shut his brain off. 

But the crowd he tried it with started to get hold of other things – meth, crack cocaine, heroin – and he felt a buzz, from the drugs and the comradery. 

By the time he was an adult, he was an addict, and he was convinced that he would die that way.

His 20s, he remembers, were spent ‘covered in dried blood’.

‘Stabbing myself over and over and over with the needles until all my limbs were swollen. I would spend anywhere from 12 to 48 hours sometimes before actually finding a vein and by that time I would have to just start over again.’

Now married to Stephanie Harger, 30, and four years clean, he credits his mom, a stint in rehab, and the gym for pulling him out of a life he felt trapped in, and shares his story to help the millions of other Americans who can’t see a way out of addiction. 

‘The feeling is nothing short of miraculous,’ Taylor said. 

‘My life today far exceeds anything that I thought possible for a street level junkie like myself. Words truly cannot capture how I feel about the opportunities that I have today.’

Dark past: Taylor Reichelt, 31, pulled himself out of heroin addiction, turning to surfing, the gym, a healthy diet, and journaling. Now, he is a content creator living in Los Angeles

Taylor says he cannot believe the opportunities he has now that he is four years clean

Taylor says he cannot believe the opportunities he has now that he is four years clean

By the time he was an adult, he was an addict, and he was convinced that he would die that way. His 20s, he remembers, were spent 'covered in dried blood'

By the time he was an adult, he was an addict, and he was convinced that he would die that way. His 20s, he remembers, were spent 'covered in dried blood'

By the time he was an adult, he was an addict, and he was convinced that he would die that way. His 20s, he remembers, were spent ‘covered in dried blood’

Taylor, pictured during his drug addiction, said he felt part of something, and that sucked him in

Taylor, pictured during his drug addiction, said he felt part of something, and that sucked him in

It took a while for friends and family to realize Taylor’s addiction. 

At school, he’d done drugs here and there but a lot of kids did too, growing up in LA. It felt exciting to rebel, but no one really knew how much Taylor liked it, and how much it meant to him.  

‘When I was high I was a part of something. The other kids that were high and I shared a common bond if you will,’ Taylor said.

‘We were outcast now. Going against the grain. Instantly it was us against the world. Or at least that’s how I felt anyway.’

In his early twenties, he was making good money running a prestigious sushi kitchen in the affluent neighborhood of Santa Monica – his parents were proud, his friends were envious, and he was over the moon, with plenty of disposable income to spend on drugs. 

But at 22, his out-of-hours heroin habit started seeping into his work, and Taylor lost his job.

The shock pushed him further in: he started using meth and crack cocaine as well as heroin – and once again, he felt as though he belonged with the people he associated with.

‘My life was about to get very dark, very quickly. After getting fired from that job due to my drug use my attitude towards my life and myself became that of hatred and despair.

‘I had now accepted my place among the junkies and lowlifes. But yet again I found a place where I belonged and felt comfortable. So, I convinced myself that this was just where I was meant to end up. 

‘And I would ride it out to the very end in a blaze of glory with my middle finger held high.’

Taylor's story is hardly stand-alone in 2019, as the US pulls itself out of an unprecedented addiction epidemic. Taylor, who got clean in 2015, is hyper aware that he is in a unique position to try to help others get off drugs

Taylor’s story is hardly stand-alone in 2019, as the US pulls itself out of an unprecedented addiction epidemic. Taylor, who got clean in 2015, is hyper aware that he is in a unique position to try to help others get off drugs

These days, Taylor is funny, fit and infectiously energetic

These days, Taylor is funny, fit and infectiously energetic

Taylor's out-of-hours heroin habit started seeping into his work, and Taylor lost his job. The shock pushed him further in: he started using meth and crack cocaine as well as heroin - and once again, he felt as though he belonged with the people he associated with

Taylor’s out-of-hours heroin habit started seeping into his work, and Taylor lost his job. The shock pushed him further in: he started using meth and crack cocaine as well as heroin – and once again, he felt as though he belonged with the people he associated with

He says he felt sick watching his drug dealer physically abuse his girlfriend on a regular basis; he was sick of not doing anything about it ‘due to the fear of being cut off.’ 

But it was his mom that pulled him out.  

‘I ended up in rehab by a series of events, which some would call divine intervention, but I don’t have too much recollection of what happened,’ Taylor said. 

‘I know my mom picked me up and took me to a detox center. I didn’t question it though. I was just happy to have a hot shower, food and a bed.’

He was in rehab for five months. That got him separated from the drugs long enough for him to no longer be physically dependent. 

While there, he took advantage of every tool they had – trauma therapy, mindfulness – and did everything they told him to do. 

In rehab, gym was mandatory every day, and he quickly fell in love with it. 

‘The gym became my so-called sanctuary. I used it to escape or find peace. It was an easy way to progress my life for the better every day. I could push myself and learn discipline,’ Taylor said.

‘Diet became an extremely important aspect as well. The better I ate, the harder I pushed myself in the gym, the better I felt physically and mentally. Being in that peak state allowed me to have the same attitude towards my recovery as I did my physique. I chased excellence and would not settle for less.’

Taylor and his wife, Stephanie, have cats and dogs, and live a healthy lifestyle together

Taylor and his wife, Stephanie, have cats and dogs, and live a healthy lifestyle together

Now, he wakes up at 5am every day. First, he listens to motivational speakers, writes in his journal, and writes his schedule for the day. Then he surfs for about two hours from 7am before coming home to meal prep for the day, then going to work. He typically ends his day either at a 12-step meeting, volunteering, or with his wife

Now, he wakes up at 5am every day. First, he listens to motivational speakers, writes in his journal, and writes his schedule for the day. Then he surfs for about two hours from 7am before coming home to meal prep for the day, then going to work. He typically ends his day either at a 12-step meeting, volunteering, or with his wife

Since surviving his addiction, Taylor’s family and friends are so proud of him and his life now is worlds away from his old one.

Now, he wakes up at 5am every day. First, he listens to motivational speakers, writes in his journal, and writes his schedule for the day. Then he surfs for about two hours from 7am before coming home to meal prep for the day, then going to work.

He typically ends his day either at a 12-step meeting, volunteering, or with his wife and their cats and dogs.

He has gone from 130lbs at the height of his addiction and is now between a healthy 180lbs and 190lbs.

Taylor has shared his addiction recovery story on Instagram under the handle, @addict-2-athlete, and has been using his experience to educate others and prevent them from seeking comfort in drugs like he once did.

‘Surviving my addiction has given me a unique education on the subject of drug and alcohol abuse. I now use that knowledge to help others who struggle. Once I was told I could use my experience to give back, I went all in,’ he said.

‘I was a taker my entire life. I took your time, your money, your trust and anything else I could get my hands on. When I had the opportunity to give. I knew I had found my purpose and I never looked back.

‘The most challenging yet most rewarding part of my recovery was switching my mindset. I had come to the conclusion that I was born to die a drug addict and my life was supposed to be an example of how not to live yours.

‘Overcoming that state of mind was tough but I was taught that just like in the gym you have to work on yourself day after day to get the desired result. It was the self-love practices and constant work on myself that was the catalyst for my mental and psychological shift.’

Taylor’s story is hardly stand-alone in 2019, as the US pulls itself out of an unprecedented addiction epidemic. 

Excessive prescribing of addictive painkillers drove demand for opioids by any means necessary – be it from a doctor or a dealer. 

Cartels promptly responded, and the heroin market boomed. 

That shift wasn’t just felt by former patients, some of whom turned to street-cut drugs, but also by teens like Taylor, who are looking for a rebellious thrill.  

More than 235,000 Americans died of overdoses between 2008 and 2016, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The addiction epidemic reached critical levels in 2013, with the US finally declaring a state of emergency, but its effects still linger. 

Around 19.7 million Americans a year battle substance abuse disorders, according to the latest data from the American Addiction Centers. 

Taylor, who got clean in 2015, is hyper aware that he is in a unique position to try to help push those numbers down by counseling others.  

'To the young adults or adults that are struggling I would say that if you are walking, talking or breathing there is hope for you'

‘To the young adults or adults that are struggling I would say that if you are walking, talking or breathing there is hope for you’

‘To be able to look someone in the eye and say, “I get it. I have been there. I was hopeless too. But there is hope. You deserve a good life. You have the capability to be great and you can make it out alive.” Then watch the hope start to fill their eyes and get to witness their life start to flourish. That’s the stuff. That’s the reason I am still alive. To carry that message. I truly believe that with every ounce of my soul.

‘To adolescents I would say communicate how you feel to others. Whether it’s your parents, a teacher, a coach, an aunt or uncle, an older sibling or any other type of adult that you trust. Just express yourself.

‘It’s ok to not feel a part of. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed. It’s ok to fear the future or the unknown. It’s ok to not know who you are. It’s ok if you feel you don’t fit in. You just need to talk about it.

‘To the young adults or adults that are struggling I would say that if you are walking, talking or breathing there is hope for you. You are not a victim of your circumstance. It’s not too late to make a change if you truly want to. But as I had to do, you need to make a decision and then follow it up with massive action.

‘Day after day I fought for my life because beyond a shadow of a doubt I never wanted to go back to that place of misery and pain. It will be challenging but once you are on the other side life is so beautiful. I ask you to just do one thing and that is just believe me. Believe that you too could have an absolutely incredible life driven by passion and fulfillment.’



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