Interview by Ruaidhri Marshall

5 min read

Todd Crandell is a former drug addict and now 31-time IRONMAN triathlon finisher. Reaching his higher purpose by pushing his body, mind, and spirit to the limit. Todd’s amazing story is now told through the multi award nominated documentary film PURE EUPHORIA.

The documentary feature film is written and directed by Edward Knowles and Timo Bruun. It is a comprehensive look into the mind of a determined man’s rise from the depths of depression and suicidal thoughts. A journey of consciousness with one of the world’s most extraordinary humans as he completes a gruelling swim, bike, and run through mystical terrain.

PURE EUPHORIA has recently been nominated for best short documentary in the 15th Sunscreen Film Festival 2020.

Catch our exclusive interview with Todd Crandell down below, as we ask him about his extraordinary turnaround from drug addiction and psychological hardship and about his Racing for Recovery organisation…

Exclusive interview

Telling us your story, you have previously described yourself as a former ‘lost soul’, having battled a 13-year struggle with drugs and alcohol, what was it like living with that mindset and what initial trigger set you free from that psyche?

I am the survivor of my mother’s drug and alcohol addiction, which led to her suicide, my uncle's suicide after drug and alcohol addiction and my aunt's suicide due to her abuse of food. For 13 years, I lived with the mindset of hurt, pain, anger, abandonment, loss, frustration, bewilderment, and an unrelenting desire to not want to live.

It was a daily routine of self-destruction, hoping not to wake up the next morning. When I did wake up, it was not with anticipation of a great day; it was regret and frustration that I had to do it again for that day. The catalyst for me to change came on April 15, 1993, when I received my third drunk driving charge. I believe it was a gift from God and my mom. Simply said, I knew two things: 1) I was done with self-destructing with drugs and alcohol and 2) I was going to heal from the emotions of why I was choosing to use drugs, while simultaneously building a lifestyle that I enjoyed living.

What was going through your mind when you crossed the finish line of your first endurance race following your long struggle with depression and drug abuse?

When I crossed the finish line of my first IronMan triathlon on November 6, 1999, I simply thought, “I did it.” It reminded me of the determination that I have had to achieve any goal that I put in front of me and that with sobriety, anything is possible.

Can you expand on what you mean by Pure Euphoria?

To me, Pure Euphoria means living each day to the fullest and not only living it, but feeling it, accepting it and sharing it with others. That is what being sober is. It is not just about not using drugs; it is being at peace with why you chose to use drugs, healing from the trauma that caused you to use them and enjoying each moment with self-esteem, grace, gratitude, humility and empathy.

Framegrabs from the multi award nominated documentary PURE EUPHORIA directed by Edward Knowles and Timo Bruun.

Describe your typical weekly fitness regime when preparing for an IRONMAN?

I am currently thankful that my body has been healing and I have been uninjured as I continue to strive for physical betterment along with emotional, psychological, spiritual and social wellbeing. With respect to my training, because I have been doing these extraordinary events for over two decades, I have built up the ability on a cardiovascular level to not require as much training as I used to.

For example, I can spend about 10 hours a week swimming, biking and running, which would equate to roughly 6 miles of swimming, 100 miles of biking and 20 miles of running. This allows me to participate in complete IRONMAN events. I am not looking to be the fastest nor the best; I am looking to have an amazing experience, meet extraordinary people, travel and finish another task.

What has been your favourite location to train or race, in terms of scenery and terrain?

My favourite place to race has been Hawaii and I have been fortunate enough to complete the world championships there three times: IRONMAN Distance, Ultraman and the IRONMAN 70.3. I love the beauty, and the magical vibe of that island with respect to other places that I have been fortunate enough to travel to.

New Zealand was beautiful, Australia was amazing and I love the history of racing in European countries, such as Austria Germany and Switzerland. Regarding my personal training, I love doing that in my hometown of Sylvania, Ohio because I’m constantly thinking of how thankful I am to have a body that still works, my family and a supportive community. As I am training locally, I am visualizing the next race I am doing globally.

What is your worst experience during an event, how did you overcome it?

My worst experience was during IRONMAN Malaysia where I collapsed on the run course due to heat exhaustion and was seriously worried about my physical health. I learned a lot from that difficult situation on an emotional and physical level. Since then I have put IRONMAN training and racing into a healthier perspective and learned to take care of my body properly. So, as always, I take a negative experience and turn it into a positive one.

How did Racing for Recovery come about and what work do you do?

Racing for Recovery was started in 2001 after a local newspaper published an article on my life as a former drug abuser, survivor, and IRONMAN triathlete. The response was overwhelming, and the article resonated with so many people. I thought to myself, how can I take these experiences in my life and turn them into something that can be given back in service to people?

For the past 19 years, we have implemented an annual 5K run to celebrate the beauty of being sober. We have counselling services and one-of-a-kind yoga support group meetings that include family members along with those battling addictions. We are not only the first program to offer this format, but also the first to deliver it in a free, live stream. We do podcasts and host exercise sessions, including gym training, Pilates, nutrition, family counselling, intensive outpatient groups, urinalysis and spiritual meetings. Everything is geared towards helping people attain and sustain sobriety. I remain active in Racing for Recovery’s daily operation, providing licensed one-on-one and group counselling services.

What would you tell someone who is currently going through a similar situation to your former self, what is the first step in the right direction and how do they discover consistency?

When I am fortunate enough to encounter people, who are suffering from emotional hardships, suicidal thoughts, drug addiction, or any form of self-destruction, I tell them that they are valuable and can overcome self-harming actions. I say this to encourage them to allow themselves to understand why they are doing these things, how to heal from it and how to move on to live a productive life, which their friends, families and communities will benefit from. I also discuss the fact that they have not lived to their full potential. They have the ability to do so and let God-given gifts come to fruition for the world to witness.

What are your plans for the future, any specific events or locations you wish to conquer?

My plans for the future are to continue having a loving caring family, complete IRONMAN triathlons around the world, experience different cultures and take members of Racing for Recovery with me. The future for Racing for Recovery includes obtaining our own lodging facility, while also implementing a detox facility so people can come to us from the beginnings of addiction through the entire healing process on a medical, physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological, nutritional and social level.

- PURE EUPHORIA

For more information on the documentary PURE EUPHORIA: https://www.pureeuphoriafilm.com/

To learn more about Racing for Recovery go to: https://racingforrecovery.org/