Todd Crandell's Diary Blog

What is up people?

2008-03-25T16:46:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

I hope your Easter was a great time with family and friends. It is imperative for me to realize how special that day is and the importance of it all.

All is well in the racing for recovery camp. The production guys for our tv show are busy putting together a promotional reel before we begin full on movement. I will be back in Los Angeles next week to work with them and finalize other busines along with seeing Bon Jovi and the LA Kings.

I along with members of our Racing for Recovery Lifestyle Center did a speaking engagement today at a local Rotary. I love the chance to introduce our amazing program to new people and do it as often as possible. I was not compensated for this but will be for my Kent State speaking gig on April 8 and also the appearances in Boston and Fremont, Ohio. I still do not know why I even mention how I am being paid but I guess that is for certain local people who just do "get" what I and this program are doing. Who has to inform others how much money they make along with who and when they are being paid lol. Oh well hope that clears any negative thoughts out there.

I want to make special attention to the guys who are living in our lifestyle center (Aaron, Chris, Kevin (from NY) and Fast Eddie (fron NJ) along with with Chris and Orlando who are closely associated to the guys how impressed I am with all the effort you are putting into training for our half ironman this June 8. In addition to the physical activeity you are heavily involved with volunteering, support groups and spirituality groups to improve yourselves in a holistic manner. Keep going mate you all are awesome.

Our 4th triathlon is approaching June 21 in Monroe, MI along with our triathlon in Idaho on June 21. Both are USAT sanctioned (and yes they are paid for) and are available for registration at www.racingforrecoveryevents.com. Come on out and support our worthy program by participating, volunteering or sponsoring.

We have our brand new hooded sweatshirts in as many have you have requested. Colors are red, black, navy, white, gold and pink for the ladies. All are embroidered with the Racing for Recovery logo and slogan "with sobriety anything is possible" and are only $35.00 each. We have black fleece jackets for $45.00 along with our whicking shirts for $20.00. You can order on the webiste or email us at racing4recovery.com with quesitons.

The mentoring program for kids on Long Island continues to make a positive impact and I want to thank Kathy, Ryan along with all the volunteers who are making this all possible.

I leave in 2 weeks for Ironman China then it is off to St. Croix for a half ironman. Training is going well and I want to thank the folks who operate the St. Croix event for placing our Racing for Recovery fliers in the participants race bags. We are all about marketing to share this message.

How does all of the above actually happen? Pretty simple stop using alcohol and other substances and life gets better?

Be good to yourselves and each other.

TC

Positive not negative

2008-03-13T06:49:00.002-04:00

Hey guys hope all is well.

Just a few things here to report. Yes our half ironman is going to happen (june 8) again and this is our 4rth year in a row. Yes it is going to be a USAT sanctioned event. Yes we are also doing a triathlon in Idaho on June 21 and yes it is a USAT sanctioned event. Racing for Recovery is not a race management company and that is why we have 3 Disciplines do this task for us and they do an amazing job. To the people who are sending emails that our events are canceled because we cant handle the workload please stop ok? There is no point in being negative and that is why I am taking the high road here and not calling people out.

I and this program Racing for Recovery are saving lives and nothing else. That is what our mission is, does and will continue to do and we will not be distracted by any negative comments or people.

Speaking of positive things, we begin filming for our tv show today as the film crew arrives just in time for our amazing support group meetings. All I can say is peseverance pays off in anything you desire in life.

Thanks to Olivet Church who had me do 3 (pro bono) speaking engagements and I look forward to do another for their youth group (pro bon) on April 9. The reason the pro bono is mentioned is again some local negative people saying I never to anytyhing to give back to the community.

Enjoy your day and the life that sobriety brings. To those who are struggling, I pray you find the light and realize that you can stop using alcohol and drugs and achieve anything in life you want. It is a choice to use and it is a choice to not use. What choice will you make today?

To Melissa, I am glad you are not sick anymore. When you are down this whole house falls a part. We need you more than you know.

TC

Madison

2008-02-25T13:53:00.002-05:00

Happy 5th birthday to my baby girl Madison Marie Crandell. You are a gift from God and I love you dearly. Enjoy your day and don't let me eat any of your cake.

Things are rough around this program lately with the passing of Eric but there is also a powerful vibe with everyone as well. People involved closely with this awesome program are becoming more active to get our mission out to the masses. Eric will not be a forgotten statistic he will be a part of this organization forever.

I am preparing for Ironman China and I am pleased to be traveling with my friend Clay from Arizona who read our book From Addict to Ironman and is now active with us.

Life is great if you are living the holistic Racing for Recovery way.

TC

Eric Floyd RIP

2008-02-20T07:16:00.002-05:00

I am devastated by the death of my friend and Racing for Recovery member Eric Floyd. Last Wed night Eric was driving intoxicated and was in an accident and his passing was the final result. Not only was Eric a member of our program but he was my friend most of all and I will miss him dearly. I never thought someone I knew and was involved with would die from this stuff but I was wrong. Addiction is real and sometimes people die from it. It is a reminder of how this simply does not have to be as there is a better way of living.

I thank God that I survived and if you thought I was driven before to help others through Racing for Recovery, you ain't seen nothing yet.

To my friend Eric, you made me laugh, you helped me, you frustrated me, you inspired me and you made my cry and for all of those things I thank you for. I promise to you and your dear family, your passing will not be forgotten and me personally and Racing for Recovery will make something positive to help others.

God bless you Eric. You will be forever in our minds and hearts.

Todd

My Horoscope

2008-01-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me today by a great friend of mine.

For whatever reason, the universe sees fit to reward you. Consider naming your suitcase because it will be your constant companion. Revisit old stomping grounds as the month draws to a close. Several contracts loom so be ready to negotiate.

That says it all for me today.

God Bless,

TC

Velvet Revolver

2008-01-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone,

Last night was yet another example of how amazing sobriety is. I had the pleasure of meeting the band Velvet Revolver www.velvetrevolver.com (former members of Guns N Roses and the singer of Stone Temple Pilots) in Detroit. My mission was to have them allow us to utilize their great music in our upcoming tv show and they agreed. The guys believe in our mission and support this project. When I was talking with Duff I explained the last night I drank was at a Guns N Roses concert in Detroit where I was passed out cold and basically missed the show and now some 15 years later we are having a conversation about sobriety, exercise and music for our show. Can you say "With Sobriety Anything is Possible. I want to say thanks to Duff for his hospitality and the rest of the band for their support.

Also we are proud to announce the first Racing for Recovery 5k, 10k run/walk in Minnesota on November 1. We will have details and registration information on www.racingforrecoveryevents.com soon as the site is being re-vamped.

I also want to say "good job" to my wife who is training very hard for a couple half ironmans she will do this summer including our 4rth Annual Racing for Recovery triathlon on June 8.

I am out for a nice 11 mile run. I love this life and thank God everyday for all that I am blessed with and what those blessings are doing to help others.

TC

Registered Trademark

2008-01-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Racing for Recovery has our name and logo approved as a registered trademark. What this means is NOBODY can utilize our name or logo in any capacity without legal consent from Racing for Recovery. In other words we are protected from those who want to not only take our concept but our look as well. I have done everything in my power to ensure the public that we are a legitimate organization and once again getting our registered trademark approved is another example of that.

I would like to thank Eric S from Florday for coming up and being involved in many things Racing for Recovery does including speaking engagements, support group meetings and other business. Eric saw us featured on ESPN and is now getting Racing for Recovery implemented in Florida. This same comment goes to Craig H of MN who is organizing our 5k out there. We have a tentative date in November set and the course is going to be approved this week. Thanks guys this is how we grow and impact more people.

I did a speaking engagement locally for an elementary school this week where I took my daughter Madison. There were 600 kids in attendance and 3 television stations covered the event as well. I met each and every student and also met with 3 individually as well.

I also passed the written exam for my chemical dependancy liscense last week. I will take the verbal exam soon. In addition to the Master of Counseling Degree I have obtained, I want to be credentialed in this field as well. It is one thing to have the personal experience as a former addict it is another to get the education to back up what you say.

Training is going well for Ironman China on Aprl 20. I did a 13 mile run in 5 degree weather today. I received a question during the speaking egagemet the other day by a very intelligent 9 year old who simply asked "what do you think about when you train or race"? The answer is simple, I think of those who Racing for Recovery has helped and those who will be helped. This is in addition to my family, God and friends who have made all of this possible.

The reality show is in pre-production and getting exciting. I can't wait for the world to see this worthy recovery (notice I said recovery and not addiction) television show and be helped by it. For those who have been told you can't do something in your life, I will leave you with this "With Sobriety Anything is Possible"

Todd

Griffen Bikes

2008-01-15T07:19:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone Happy New Year. I just returned from Texas where I had a tour of the Griffen bike company. It was a pleasure to see how these amazing bikes are actually made and I truly appreciate all of the support Griffen Bikes provides Racing for Recovery. Thanks to Mark and Tony for all they have done for me personally and now for Racing for Recovery. (side note I rode one of their great bikes in the ESPN clip).

Racing for Recovery is please to announce the opening of our Lifestyle Center today. If you need a place to stay to work in improving your life in a holistic manner, please contact us at racing4recovery@aol.com for more details.

We are working on impelenting another signature 5k event for this fall and will announce details soon. In the meantime we are gearing up for the 4th Annual Racing for Recovery Triathlon in Monroe, Michigan on June 8 and our new triathlon in Idaho on June 21. Please contact us for details.

I am off to speak in AZ next week and look forward to sharing the Racing for Recovery message over there. To the people of New Zeland who bought our book From Addict to Ironman recently, THANK YOU for your support.

Enjoy you day guys. Sobriety is a reality and it is simply a choice to not use today and do what you have a passion for to improve your life.

TC

Racing for Recovery sells tv show

2007-12-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

After over a year of many trips to Los Angeles for meetings and countless hours of work, we have sold our reality tv show to a major network. I am not going to give details at this point but will say we are starting pre-production in January and have a potential air date of November 2008.

This is a true example of our slogan "with sobriety anything is possible. The country is going to see our worthy program and all the benefits we provide people to save lives. There is only positive things about this show and am truly thankful to the writers, producers and everyone involved who made this happen.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Kevin T from New York who has come to Sylvnaia, Ohio to be involved with Racing for Recovery. I love it.

Enjoy your day.

tc

Racing for Recovery sells tv show to major network

2007-12-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

our events

2007-12-18T14:52:00.000-05:00

Hello everyon and Happy Holidays.

For all of you triathletes out there, the 3rd Annual Racing for Recovery Half and Sprint Distance Triathlon will be USAT sanctioned this year on June 8. Also our triathlon in Idaho on June 21 will be a USAT event as well.

We are now accepting applications to be a Racing for Recovery board member. If you are interested in being a part of this worthy program and the decisions we make to save lives, please contact me at toddcrandell@racingforrecovery.com and I will get you an application sent out. This is a golden opportunity to be involved with the business side of this organization. We need to have the applications back to us by February 1.

Again Happy Holidays and thanks for all of your support.

TC

Thanksgiving and Grace

2007-11-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all enjoyed this special day with family and friends. We all have a ton to be thankful for.

Usually the night before Thanksgiving is kind of hard for me. 15 years ago yesterday I was sitting in my grandmas garage ready to kill myself. Even in my sobriety that day was hard for me but not anymore. Yesterday, as I was flying home from Los Angeles after seeing Van Halen I just thought to myself how blessed I am today with so many things and people in my life. Not once were there any negative thoughts in my head or even sadness. That brings to me shows grace.

I do not take this life for granted nor do I question why it is the way it is but rather I just except it is Gods grace that I survived and count my blessings for what is taking place today not only personally but professionally as well.

I have been doing alot of speaking lately in New Jersey, Chicago and New Hampshire delivering the Racing for Recovery message to well received audiences. I am always truly humbled by this and at a gig in the New Hampshire State Prison I was reminded of how it is by the grace of God that I did not end up in a place like that. Those guys are great peoeple who like many of us made the choice to get involved with drugs and are now paying the price for that choice. They are fathers, sons, brothers and friends just like the rest of us. To those messing around with this junk be aware this could be you if you do not make better choices in your lives.

Racing for Recovery is proud to announce another one of our signature triathlon events in Idaho next June 21. Check out our webiste events link for more information on that. As always we are looking for sponsors for this event and our half ironman on June 8.

My wife just asked if I was writting a diary entry and wanted to make sure I stated that she was the best thing that has ever happened to me lol. Well in all honesty my sobriety is the best thing that has ever happend to me because without it I would not have my family, education, racing for recovery and everything else in my life today. Truth be told Melissa is a great person and yes I am lucky to have her.

I have signed up for Ironman China and will go with a member of Racing for Recovery who will be doing his first Half Ironman on the same day. We both will be sharing the Racing for Recovery message over there to as many people as possible.

I am working on finalizing many business projects with r4r and once confirmed I will get a post up. I am tired so will close this out with Happy Thanksgiving and "With Sobriety Anything is Possible"

TC

Choices

2007-10-27T08:07:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone

I just returned from yet another trip to Los Angeles for business and a speaking engagement near Oakland.

I was thinking of what to title this entry and the word CHOICES came to mind. The reason for this is simple, if I did not make the choice to stop using drugs on April 15, 1993 I would have nothing in my life today that currently exists. There would be no family, education, health, Racing for Recovery or spirituality. I would simply be a lost soul complaining and angry about how my life is. The simple fact is this, make a choice to stop using drugs = GOOD LIFE make a choice to use drugs = BAD LIFE.

We had our inaugural Racing for Recovery 5k in Las Vegas on Oct 13 for 176 people. It was amazing to see one of our signature events happen out there and the impact that was made was tremendous. Thanks Steve for being our go to guy and making this possible.

The 6th Annual Racing for Recovery 5k, 10k held in my hometown of Sylvania, Ohio was last Sunday Oct 21 and once again we had over 300 finishers. I am proud of my daughter Skylar who ran the entire 5k and I was with her every step of the way. My other daughter Madison participated in the kids race. We had people from from MN, NJ, NY, PA, IN, MI, WV, CA and of course Ohio. Our message is making a difference in people and this philosophy of a holistic approach to recovery that does not include 12 steps is awesome and beneficial.

Recently I actually received my diploma for completing a Master of Counseling Degree. I did not go through commencement as I was in Los Angeles at the time but I must say finally having that piece of paper in my possession was rewarding. It was one of those moments that I was actually proud of myself and again was reminded "With Sobriety Anything is Possible" I am going to take my exam in December to be a certified chemical dependency counselor as well and on the same day speak for the Ohio Supreme Court for the 2nd time. I am contemplating pursuing a doctorate in psychology but not for a year.

To those who are struggling with an addiction, I hope you read this and take note that a good life exists and you are worthy of it. Sobriety can be achieved and a program and support system of your choice can be utilized to achieve it. For the family and friends of the addicted person, please do not give up HOPE and understand you are there to help them when they help themselves.

I am home for a week then it is off to New Hampshire, New Jersey and Chicago for speaking gigs. I love doing this.

Happy Halloween

TC

ADDICT: Racing for Recovery, The Todd Crandell Story is Now Available for Download

2007-10-24T08:40:00.000-04:00

The highly requested documentary, "ADDICT: Racing for Recovery, The Todd Crandell Story" is now available for download, with a $10 donation, from www.racingforrecovery.com.

Again

2007-10-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone welcome to October. Couple things to report on. First of all ESPN will re-air our story on Sunday, October 7 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. The impact the show has made on people is truly amazing and I look forward to more people having their lives improved after this airing.

We have our 5k, 10k run/walks coming up as well. The Racing for Recovery Las Vegas event will be on Oct 13 and the 6th Annual Racing for Recovery 5k, 10k is Oct 21. Thanks to Steve V in Vegas for all of his work into putting that event on and as always thanks to Kenny and 3D Racing for their endless support for our local events.

I have been doing alot of traveling lately for Racing for Recovery projects. I will not make an "official" announcement yet but we have 3 major projects in the works. I hope to have one of them signed by the end of the week. I will keep everyone up to date as soon as I can. As always I will say this, whatever Racing for Recovery does it is beneficial and this is not exception.

To all of the people out there who are struggling with addiction and this includes the family and friends as well. Do not give up HOPE. Recovery is possible and a good life can be had by all. This is not fantasy land it is reality and again it can be achieved. There is work involved as nothing comes easy but if the same effort that is put into destroying yourself is changed into repairing yourself, you will be amazed at the results.

Take care of yourself and watch the rest of the people around you benefit in the process.

Racing for Recovery is here to help.

TC

WOW WOW WOW

2007-09-02T19:38:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

You know the drill by know I am always late on putting up diary entries and this one is no exception. I and everyone here at Racing for Recovery have been extremely busy as a result of the ESPN Sportscenter broadcast on August 19 and 20. If you missed it, you can view it on www.racingforrecovery.com as the link is on the homepage and under the pressroom section.

I want to thank my friend Jose Morales and everyone at ESPN who was a part of creating this amazing piece. There has been a ton of media coverage on this program over the years which I am very grateful for and with no disrespect to any of those media outlets, this ESPN coverage was the best. Since the coverage aired we have had over 6,000 hits to the website, hunreds of books have been sold, speaking engagements booked, hundreds upon hundreds of emails, constant phone calls and the main thing is peoples lives have been changed and for that I am forever thankful. I also have been contacted by friends I have not seen or heard from in over 25 years and it has been amazing to reconnect with those I lost during my drug days.

I always think of the guy who will watch a story like ours on tv when he is drunk and have it change his life for the better. Well here is an email I received that I want to share with you all.

I have been a meth addict fo almost 12 years, I have ruined relationships
with my family members, friends and women I love because of my addiction.
I've lost cars, my home and all the things I worked for because of my
inability or unwillingness to stop.

I have been struggling to stay clean for the last three months and was
sitting down with my pipe and 3 grams and as I was going to take my first
hit your story came on ESPN. Your story interested me so I put down the pipe
and watched the segment.

After the story was finished I flushed the dope and broke my pipe, hearing
your story has inspired me to strive to stay clean and has shown me that if
you put as much effort into life as you being an addict you can rebuild your
life and become a better person for yourself and everyone else.

You sacrifice so much to help other people regain their lives and put them
on a positive track in life I felt the need to write you and say thank you
for all you do for every one of us who needs an inspiration to turn our
lives around and stay on the right path.

Thank you again for being there for me and every other addict you have and
ever will help.

Sincerely,
Jason

If anyone ever questions my work personally, professionally or if Racing for Recovery is worthwhile, scroll up and read that email again. WHAT I AND RACING FOR RECOVERY DO IS WORTHWHILE AND HELPING OTHERS.

There are big things coming since ESPN aired all of which I am pursuing with great interest. Last week I was in Los Angeles, next week I am in New York or Cleveland (not sure which yet) to meet with NBC, and Baltimore for an Olympic Triathlon then the following week back to Los Angeles for meetings with our agency and CBS. My dream since 2001 has been to reach as many people as possible through my story and Racing for Recovery and that dream is now a reality.

We have two Racing for Recovery 5k's coming in October. The 13 is in Las Vegas and the 6th Annual Racing for Recovery 5k, 10k is in Sylvania, Ohio.

In closing I simply want to thank everyone who has supported our program and stay tuned for the ride we hae begun. I also want to thank GOD for my sobriety and everything that getting off of drugs has brought to me. Last but not least to my wife Melissa and my beautiful kids thanks for hanging in there with me. I know it has been a struggle but nothing worthwhile comes easy. I would not be here without you and I cant go foward without you as well.

With Sobriety Anything is Possible.

TC

ESPN Feature Story

2007-08-19T18:46:00.000-04:00

Thank you to ESPN for producing a wonderful piece that beatifully illustrated the history of Racing for Recovery and our mission - to prevent all forms of substance abuse and to provide positive alternatives for those currently battling addictions by encouraging a lifestyle of fitness and health through 5K Run/Walk events across the nation.

If you missed the original airing, you can view the video by clicking on the link in the pressroom under "radio, television & film" or by searching "Todd Crandell Addict to Ironman" at ESPN.com.

Sorry and Thanks

2007-08-11T08:13:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Ok I have been pestered by a couple of close friends to give a new blog so here goes. First of all I apologize for the delay. Instead of giving a lame excuse like "I am so busy" I am going to say this. When I am not updating this blog all the time that just simply means there is too much good going on with Racing for Recovery and I just do not have the time to update the blog. There how is that for another lame response? lol

Here is the latest. First of all, I want to thank my family, friends, God, everyone involved with Racing for Recovery and ESPN for coming to Sylvania, Ohio and filming all things Racing for Recovery. This special on our program will air August 19 throughout the day on Sportscenter. I am truly humbled by what is happening with our program and thankful for all of the lives we are touching. If you are here locally we have radio on 94.5 FM this Monday at 8 a.m. and Tuesday on AM 1470 at 4:10 p.m..

You may notice when you call us we have a new phone answering service. We now have our new system installed in the office and you now have differnt options to leave messages for different departments.

We also just completed a Racing for Recovery strategic planning sessions with people from several states in attendance to discuss where we are going with Racing for Recovery. We are now offering the Intensive Out-Patient Drug Treatment Services along with individual counseling, mentoring program in Long Island, 4 5k, run walk events, 2 half ironman and sprint distance triathlons, speaking engagements, free cutting edge support group meetings, a book and additional things are in the process.

I also want to thank my sponsor Metabolix for all they have done for me which helps Racing for Recovery in the end as well. That is important for you all to know that my participation in triathlons and running events promotes Racing for Recovery and that is why I do them. Speaking of triathlons, I have our local race to do tomorrow so I have to get out get a run in and then go pick up my race packet.

Enjoy your day I will try and keep this thing updated more often. Thanks to Ray and Greg for staying on me.

Keep good thoughts and prayers in mind for addicts and families who are struggling out there. There is HOPE and Racing for Recovery provides it.

TC

New Services Offered

2007-07-18T07:52:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I want to take this time and inform you all of some new changes to our program and once again clarify our mission.

We are now offering individual and group counseling services in addition to the FREE support group meetings we have been providing for over 5 years. See the information at the end of this entry.

We have also recently moved our Saturday and Tuesday meeting locations to the main office at 901 Washington St in downtown Toledo, Ohio. We are doing this because we want to utilize our office more and now that we have our intensive outpatient drug treatment services offered there it made sense to us to have most of our support group meetings there as well.

I also again want to discuss how things work financially around here. As you all know, Racing for Recovery is a federally approved 501 c 3 non profit organization and what that means is we have been approved by the government to do business as such. ALL proceeds go to Racing for Recovery and that includes race entry fees, donations, sponsorships, books, movie and merchandise sales, and speaking engagements. Those funds are then utilized to run this worthy program and that includes promotional materials, race costs, utilities etc. The ONLY money that I personally make is from doing speaking engagements. I do not make personal money from book sales as I have donated all of that to fund the program. I want to make this perfectly clear again the only money I make is from doing speaking engagements.

Now that we are offering individual and group counseling services the people who are facilitating will be compensated for their services just like any other drug treatment agency would do. We have certified individuals on board and look to hire more in the future. I have just completed my Mastor of Counseling program and continue to work on my Ohio credentials and will have them completed by years end. I am liscensed to work as a Chemcial Dependency Counselor Assistant and can offer services under the supervision of a more credentialed individual which I currently do. Will I personally make an income from these services? Yes I will and that is because I have put the work and effort into my educaiton for the past 3 years to get to this level.

The bottom line is this Racing for Recovery is continuously working to improve our program and I am doing the same thing on a personal level as well.

Racing for Recovery has expanded our services to include treatment in conjunction with our existing prevention and recovery services. This will allow Racing for Recovery to offer a whole continuum of care.

We now provide:
Outpatient Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment which includes
Assessments
Individual Counseling
Group Counseling
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

We also provide General Mental Health Counseling services.

All of the above services are available to the primary individual in need, their family, friends and significant support system.

Racing for Recovery is expanding these services so we will be here for you and your family members.

For more information or to schedule an appointment please call
419-824-8462 or email racing4recovery@aol.com

Enjoy your day.

Ironman Austria and ESPN

2007-07-10T13:16:00.000-04:00

All I can say is I have had a truly amazing experience here at Ironman Austria. I had my best finishing time of 12 hours 32 minutes but in the big picture of things who cares it is more about what we going on behind the scenes. As you may or may not know ESPN came here to film me doing this event as they are putting together what I promise will be a truly remarkable feature for Sportscenter. This will air sometime in late August and I will have a date soon for everyone. The footage ESPN shot of the Ironman was awesome including coverage of the swim which they had a boat in the water for and that is something I have never had done before. Jose, Joe and Greg truly are top professionals and were with me throughout the day. After seeing the work they had to do I was thankful I only had to do the Ironman.

Yesterday the day after the race, we had to do 6 more hours of additional filming and needless to say I was a bit tired so riding and running again was a little rough but what else do you need to be inspired by than to have ESPN filming for what will eventually save lives. The country side is absolutely beautfiul here and I was in awe of the many places we filmed at. I have had the honor and distinct pleasure of traveling around the world promoting Racing for Recovery and have seen many beautiful places and Austria is right up there at the top. Wait until you all see this story air on ESPN it is going to blow you away. They said it is some of the best footage they have shot. Next up is ESPN will come to Sylvania and shoot all things Racing for Recovery including the people who have benefitted from our worthy program.

This amazing program is about to burst and I am so humbled and privelage to be a part of it. I know God gave me that addiction and blessed me with my sobriety to start Racing for Recovery and with the help of so many people we have and will continue to make an impact on lives. That is a statement I am proud to say .

I want to thank my friend, pastor and Racing for Recovery spiritual director Darrel Cousino for coming with me on this trip. Also to the amazing people I met while here including Tiger, David, Charlie, Sabina and Claudia for their friendship and kind generosity. I also want to thank my beautiful wife and amazing kids along with my parents and grandmother for their endless support of what I do. I could not do this without you all and again I thank you and love you all from the bottom of my heart.

Time to finish packing and then as Motley Crue sings " Home Sweet Home" for me.

Peace

TC

ESPN

2007-06-23T14:52:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone I hope you are enjoying your sobriety and digging this great life. To those who have yet to find out the real deal on recovery keep trying and do not give up HOPE as you to can find "With Sobriety Anything is Possible"

I just got the final word from ESPN and it is offiial they will be covering me participating in Ironman Austria July 8 for a feature segment on Sportscenter sometime in August. ESPN will also be coming to Sylvania, Ohio and filming a variety of things associated with Racing for Recovery including our support groups and the people who have benefitted from them. This is truly an amazing opportunity and I am thankful for it as once again it will get our program out to millions of people. My pastor, friend and facilitator of the Racing for Recovery spirituality meeting Darrell Cousino will be coming with me as well.

The 2nd Annual Racing for Recovery golf outting takes place on August 3 so come on out and have a blast and hack up the course with me and others.

Again I want to address those who are still struggling with their drug addiction. I say get help. Go to your local church, attend support groups, get counseling, exercise, eat properly, get sleep and use your family and friends as support. The holistic approach to recovery and our philosophy will improve your life. The choice is yours and I hope you choose a great life of recovery over the misery of addiction.

We are here to help.

TC

Racing for Recovery Triathlon

2007-06-11T08:30:00.000-04:00

The 3rd Annual Racing for Recovery Half and Sprint Triatlon held yesterday was a tremendous sucess. Over 300 participants from 16 states and 2 countries competed in this amazing and worthy event. Everyone seemed to enjoy our new venue at Sterling Park in Monroe Michigan.

I would like to thank all of the participants, sponsors, volunteers and 3D Racing for making this all possible.

Next years race is set for June 8.

Special congrats to my wife Melissa for completing her first sprint distance triathlon. It was awesome to be at the finish line with our kids to see her complete the event.

To my friend Greg, I have a lot of respect for you for what you attempted to do. Remember you had the guts to get out there and start the event and that takes courage. I will see you again next year and be at the finish when you get there.

Todd

Financial Review

2007-05-24T07:24:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

Many times people throw the term "non-profit" out there in the business world and the audience is not really sure what that means or what the status of non-profit is. Racing for Recovery is a Federally approved 501 c 3 non-profit organization. What that means is that we are federally approved to do business as a non-profit and all donations are tax exempt. This makes us an official non-profit not just stating we are one.

We have filed our taxes since the organization started in 2001 and I am proud to say we recently had a finanical review done on the programs finances. This was done by a certified CPA in Las Vegas and ensures we are doing business properly according to the non-profit laws.

The point in me relaying this information is to remind everyone we are not only running a beneficial program but we are also operating it accordinly.

I am home this week without travel which has been nice as I can focus on the business side and get things in order for our 3rd Annual Racing for Recovery Half and Sprint Distance Triathlon on June 10. Participating in these things is easy setting them up is a whole other story.

Thanks to the schools in New Hampshire and the city of Perrysburg, Ohio for having me speak to your students. This is what I enjoy the most out of what I do.

Just received a phone call from a guy at 7 am this morning stating he was drinking and 'COULD NOT STOP". I assured him and want to assure others who might be ready this now "YOU CAN STOP AND REBUILD YOUR LIFE". You do not have to be a practicing addict or alcoholic your whole life it simply does not have to happen. Make the decision to stop and then utilize what you are interested in to help maintain and build a life of sobriety. Using a holistic approach of exercise, faith, education and support from family, friends and community is a good place to start.

Life is good without being drunk everyday. It can be accomplished by anyone but it has to start from within. Make a choice to not use today.

I am off to Hawaii to compete in another half ironman next week. I would not be doing this or have anything else in my life today if I was still using.

God Bless and "With Sobriety Anything is Possible"

TC

Water Photoshoot

2007-05-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone just couple quick things.

First of all I want to let anyone out there who is struggling with alcohol and drugs that you never have to use again period. That is the simple truth YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE AGAIN. We do not have to complicate thigns by thinking we have to do certain steps but rather make the choice to not use and utilize whatever you like as your means of getting and remaining sober.

I had a great experience speaking in New Hampshire last week for a 6th grade audience and I will return again this week for another high school. I would like to thank Karen and Tom for their endless work on making my presentations possible.

I also had a nice interview with Ohio Magazine that runs in July and they did a underwater photoshoot yesterday in the pool where I swim. This was something I have never done before and it was awesome. The photographer said "it must be good to be you now" and I thought about that and said "yes it is" and I am thankful for this life of mine and the abilty to share a powerful message to help others as that is the main point of what I and Racing for Recovery do.

Many good things are happening lately and I am proud to be involved with this great program.

Aouncements for new events coming soon.

Take care.

TC

R4R New Office

2007-04-27T07:08:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

We opened up the new Racing for Recovery office located at 901 Washington St. Toledo, Ohio 43614 on Wednesday night with a great support group meeting. It is truly humbling to have witnessed people coming to OUR building and benefiting from yet another Racing for Recovery meeting.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. We needed alot of assistance with a variety of things and the group came through for the greater good and I appreciate everyone who was involved.

Our spirituality meeting has been awesome and going strong for the past couple months. Regarding our holistic approach to sobriety this is a key component to my recovery and I am fortunate to be a part of this format. Thanks to Pastor Darryl Cousino for leading this support group.

I will be speaking at Darryl's church Olivet in Sylvania this Sunday at 9:30 am then off to New Hampshire on Wed for speaking gigs returning Friday morning for a speaking gig in Perrysburg Ohio and once again leaving for New Hampshire the following week. I love getting out there and sharing the Racing for Recovery message.

My wife Melissa and son Konor celebrate their birthdays on Tuesday May 1 and I want to say Happy B- Day and I love you both. Another example of sobriety my friends because without sobriety I would not have the family and life that I graciously have today.

Tonight and all day tomorrow I will be in Troy Michigan taking a class called Death and Dying. I have completed my Master of Counseling Degree but need 4 additional class to be certified in Ohio. I can and do work under the supervision of someone in the meantime to provide the counseling services that many people are asking for.

The 3rd Annual Racing for Recovery Half and Sprint Triathlon is approaching on June 10 and we are looking forward to another amazing day. Entries are rolling in from all over the United States and I want to thank everyone that is not only participating in the event but volunteering for it as well.

In closing here is a message to those who are struggling. You can recover and go on to achieve anything you want in life. It is a simple decision to stop and then put the same effort you did into getting hammered into getting your life together. A holistic approach of mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally is a good way to go. Whatever you find as a way to help you run with it and do not worry about what others say you should or should not do.

I thank God and everyone who I am associated with for my life and this program.

TC