Scott and Hillary Martin sit down with Blu Robinson, the founder of Addict to Athlete, to talk about recovery, identity, movement, and how purpose can be built from pain. Blue shares the personal story behind his work, including family trauma, addiction, therapy, education, and the moment exercise became a recovery tool.This episode is about more than sobriety. It explores how labels shape people, why movement can support healing, and how community can help someone show up at the starting line of change.

Key topics

• Blu shares how his early life was shaped by severe instability, abuse, poverty, and frequent moves, including 22 different homes before age 18.

• He explains how addiction took root in his teens as a way to cope with abandonment, trauma, and the need to belong.

• Blu describes the rock-bottom moment in 1996 that pushed him to leave addiction behind and begin rebuilding his life.

• Mountain biking became an early positive identity shift and later inspired Addict to Athlete.

• Blu discusses his education journey, from adult high school to becoming a therapist.

• The conversation covers the limits of one-size-fits-all recovery and the value of movement-based approaches.

• Hillary shares how negative labels can make recovery more difficult.

• Blu explains the “erase and replace” philosophy: replacing harmful patterns with movement, service, and a new identity.

• Addict to Athlete uses running, biking, races, and community events to build confidence and connection.

• The episode explores grief, relapse, loss, and how service can honor people who have died from addiction.