Keeping You Connected

Fit To Recover is up to amazing things.  
We welcome you to learn more about us and BE PART OF. 
FTR Kicks Off Recovery Day  

September is National Recovery Month and FTR is excited to show up in full support of Recovery Day.  We will be kicking off the event leading the warm up before the 5K. JOIN US! $20 gets you a spot in the 5K next to fellow teamFTR.  

Meet at FTR Saturday 9/12 at 7:30 am 
Reach High Climb Strong 
Help Us Build the FTR Bouldering Wall 

We need your support!  With 22 days remaining, we have some climbing left to do in order to reach our goal. 

The FTR Bouldering Wall will introduce those in recovery to potentially life-changing experiences from which they can always find comfort and challenge, by themselves or within the FTR Community.  With support from the  Petzl FoundationMomentum Indoor Gym and  Nadesan Beck PC, FTR is building a Salt Lake City bouldering wall for those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. 

Even if you can't donate to our cause at this time, please share our campaign with your friends who are climbers, and people you know who know the value of supporting those in recovery. 


Looking to be of Service?
Volunteer with FTR

Every month (generally on the first  Saturday)  FTR joins the Legacy Initiative to feed the homeless. Rachel Santizo is the Service/Volunteer Coordinator for FTR and keeps the giving vibe alive.
Once homeless herself, she has a soft spot for this population.  Rachel has found that through giving back, and acting the complete opposite of how she did when in her addiction she never loses site of where she once was and more importantly where she can easily be again.  Through the gift of sobriety, Rachel passes along a message of hope to others in addition to making sure people who are hungry are fed. 

Rachel describes her experience being of service beautifully; "The feeling I get after helping others in priceless and indescribable and that is what makes me come back each month. In life we always have deadlines and expectations - in volunteering I purposely have none of that... for two reasons. One it's dangerous as an addict to get let down in any form or fashion and two it's refreshing to just live for no other reason than in the moment for a purpose other than yourself." 

In addition to this monthly service event FTR participates in about 2 to 3 more events per month. Some of these include 5K's for VOA homeless youth, Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society, Drug Court
Barbecue, Pride Festival and Parade, Hair Cuts for the Homeless, Hike with NAMI, Open Streets Festivals, Gardening at the City Building.  

Service is at the CORE of Fit to Recover.  Not only are these great ways to help others and get outside of oneself, it is a prime time to build relationships and get to know the community a little better.  We welcome you to join us! 



FITNESS of FTR
James Sjostrom is FTR's Strength Coach.  In the article below he shares some great insight on being PART OF teamFTR.  

Fitness for recovery.  Does it really work?
I can tell you that personally it is no replacement for spiritual work.  That when I take care of my spirit, all seems to be good.  However, I also noticed that when I stopped filling my body with drugs, alcohol, and poisons, I was way more in touch with my body. I became more sensitive.  When we train at FTR we are taking care of our physical body.  A body that before sobriety we abused for years, in as many ways as we could find. Now in sobriety we start recovering from a disease that affects our mind, body, and spirit.  One of the best things I can do for my body is exercise it.  We do this to improve wellness and preparedness.  Gain strength and movement.  It becomes part of our daily disciplines.  This is not a full solution to anything, but part of our seeking to find a  better self, better life, better community .  

If you are new to FTR, there are two things that can really help you.  

First,
please remember that we have all walked the path that you are walking now.  We have all adjusted and are still adjusting from our old way of living into this new way of living.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  Please, be patient with yourself and we will be patient with you.

Second,
there is no competition at our gym.  We only want you to leave the gym a little better than you came in.  We do this every day.  If every day you leave FTR just a little better than you came in we feel we are doing our job.  Little by slowly we cultivate health and wellness.  Laws of nature say we can't do it all in one day.  So together we take it one day at a time. 

Exciting news!   FTR will be participating in StrongFirst's Tactical Strength Challenge  on  Saturday October 31st .  This is a 3 part event.  A Max Deadlift, Max Pullups, (or flexed arm hang) and a 5 min kettlebell snatch test for reps. We all start where we are and the TSC is a fantastic measure for each of us to know where we are so we can get to where we want to be.  FTR will be participating in this every 6 months to be sure we are serving  you.   Everything at the gym and in life comes at a cost, but does it come with a benefit?  The benefits of becoming stronger in the deadlifts, gaining more pull-ups, and increasing your snatches will be very apparent in your physical endeavors.  You will see improvements in sports, climbing, energy, health, by improving in these 3 platforms.  We are excited to help you work towards your results... Our very own Christy Thayne just got her 1st chin-up of her life at the age of 36.  I am sure there will be many more in her future.   Ask me  any questions or for info how to get signed up!
 


Word of the month is : Team! 
Def: A team is a group of people linked in a common purpose.  At FTR we are a TEAM and we invite you to BE PART OF.  We know you have a lot to offer and we have a lot to learn.  We know that we are all better if we can do it together.  Underlying all of it we all suffer from the same disease.  Let's EASE the DISease - stick together and grow stronger. 


Check out our class schedule come have fun and we will see you soon for a work out.  
Sobriety Spotlight
Chase Fairfield

My full name is J. Chasen Fairfield, I was born November 17th 1989 to two awesome parents in Omaha, Nebraska where I grew up.  I lived a really happy and active childhood.  I've been an athlete my entire life, a music fanatic, outdoor and dog lover.  

Following high school I went to the University of Arizona where I got a degree in Sports Management.  Throughout college I was very social and involved. I've been blessed with amazing friends throughout my life, some who I've known for over 20 years who motivated me to keep myself in line for the most part, and many who I consider family.

Following college is when my addiction started to take hold.  I moved home and immediately began to experience depression and a huge increase in my already noticeable anxiety.  Up to that point in my life I had been able to tak
e every challenge and struggle head on, there was no negative self talk, I had the support and resources to go as far in life as I wanted.  The lack of "community" was an enormous part of my insecurity.  While I had many lifelong friends and acquaintances around, I was starting to alienate them with my use.   Eventually I entered treatment in 2013, I followed that up with two years of "scientific research" that led me on a much scarier and dangerous journey than before.  I hit a bottom.  Nobody wanted to be around the person I had become, and my family had, had enough.  Finally after a ridiculous number of "higher power" occurrences I ended up in the hospital where I vowed to do it this time around for myself, and a better life.  My sobriety date is April 22, 2015.
 
Things are much different for me in sobriety.  They are peaceful and joyful.  I want to say easy but I don't think that's true on an everyday basis.  I don't have the anxiety over my health and everyday life, I don't have the negative self talk, I don't have to wake up every morning in a panic and immediately start apologizing for things I've done.  I'm striving to do things that make me happy and content.  

The relationships I have are genuine and I'm able to be the family member and friend I want to be. 
I'm not always looking for that next best thing, I'm enjoying what's right in front of me.  And I'm having an awesome time! 

I was introduced to FTR through Cold Creek.  As a part of their residential program clients attend a weekly one-hour class, and also Bootcamp on Saturday mornings.   FTR is an amazing community.  Plain and simple.  For a person like me who has always thrived and been happiest when surrounded by positive and loving people, it's the ideal place to not only work on myself, but also have a pretty damn good time doing it.    It's so much more than just "working out."  FTR is a tremendous asset in that it provides community and support, as well as an outlet for fitness and creative expression. 

FOOD To Recover

What is that you say?  Fit to Recover now has its very own nutrition component - FOODTo Recover!  Self care includes putting the highest grade fuel in your body, which is something brand new for some of us in sobriety.   

Through Food to Recover we are able to experience our very own Farm to Table eating at Saturday's Bootcamps. Dietician's bring samples from the FTR home grown garden and offer  support to member's with their nutritional goals through promoting a balanced and mi ndful diet.

Good nutrition is important in recovery.  Good nutrition provides energy, reduces cravings, and can make you feel better.  Have you always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?  Do you know why?  Be  sure to get all the latest tips and  recipes  on the FOOD To Recover blog.

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