From Athlete to Alcohol-Free: Anne’s Journey Beyond the Game Ep 2

You can train for the game, grind through practice, and play through pain—but what happens when the opponent is alcohol? For so many athletes, drinking is woven into the culture: win or lose, you drink. In this episode, I share my story of breaking free from that cycle and discovering who I am in life after sport.I open up about growing up in Wisconsin where alcohol was everywhere, chasing a basketball career into college and coaching, and how that lifestyle only pulled me deeper into drinking. What started as “normal” eventually turned into tequila at 7 a.m. just to get through work. But with therapy, reflection, and the mindset I built as an athlete, I found a way forward as an alcohol-free athlete. If you’ve ever wondered who you are beyond sport—or what life could look like without drinking—you’ll hear pieces of yourself in this story.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Why alcohol is so normalized in sports culture and how it shows up in athletes’ lives • The hidden pressures coaches face that fuel drinking habits • How COVID and personal loss pushed me to confront my relationship with alcohol • The role therapy and sober curiosity played in my turning point • How sports discipline gave me the tools to navigate life after sport without alcoholPress play to hear what it really takes to shift your identity, rebuild strength, and choose a different path.