From meth, heroin, armed crimes, and homelessness to gold medals and business owner. Donald Rosenow’s story is one of the most complete redemption arcs ever featured on Free Like Me. | Free Like Me Podcast with Clark Fredericks

Donald Rosenow grew up in Alaska in a home defined by absent parents, chaos, molestation, and constant moving. By his teens he was running away and drinking to blackout. By adulthood he had graduated to pills, heroin, and meth — cycling through repeated arrests, armed incidents, and dangerous situations he barely survived. A major bust found him slumped in a stolen Chrysler LeBaron surrounded by weapons and multiple drugs. Later he hit his deepest rock bottom — homeless in Albuquerque, blacking out repeatedly, with nowhere left to go.

That’s when he committed to the Delancey Street Foundation’s two-year residential program. Fully. For the first time in his life.

Coming out during COVID, Donald co-founded Integrity Moving — now operating across Santa Fe and Denver, hiring Delancey graduates along the way. He found jiu-jitsu, trained seriously, and competed at the IBJJF NoGi Pans. He rebuilt his relationship with his daughter. He married. He has been clean and sober for 10 years.

Marine K9 handler Alfred Bretner discusses surviving an IED blast, the loss of his dog, and his path to healing.

Alfred Bretner was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Dragon Strike, where he worked alongside his dog, Grief. After surviving two IED blast incidents that changed his life forever, Alfred returned home facing severe physical injuries and the invisible weight of trauma. In this conversation, he opens up about the reality of veteran recovery, detailing how he navigated the dark periods of pain medication dependency and near-suicidal thoughts to reclaim his life.

His story is a testament to the power of routine, faith, and therapy. Alfred explains the difficult process of achieving sobriety journey success, rebuilding his marriage, and finding a new purpose after the military. We also discuss the lessons found in his book, Surviving Grief, which offers a raw look at processing loss and moving forward after the unthinkable.

Sexual abuse. Family betrayal. Meth, heroin, and fentanyl. Borderline personality disorder. Jail. Stevie survived all of it — and has been clean since August 2025. | Free Like Me Podcast with Clark Fredericks

Stevie grew up in small-town Maryland in a home full of heavy drinking and conflict. She was first abused around age 6 by an uncle by marriage. Then groomed and assaulted by her great-uncle. At 11 years old — terrified for her little sister's safety — she reported him. He served 18 months and landed on the sex offender registry. Her extended family blamed her anyway. Her school made it worse.

What followed was years of compounding pain — diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder, addiction that escalated from alcohol at 15 to meth, heroin, and fentanyl, repeated suicidal crises, and a revolving door of psychiatric facilities. Then jail. That became her turning point.

Stevie opens up about how DBT and CBT therapy, music, movement, sleep, and mindset work pulled her out — and why she went back for maintenance help when cravings returned instead of staying silent. This is one of the most honest conversations about what early recovery actually looks like day to day.