Note: Brooks, Seattle’s beloved running shoe company, has supported Recovery Café for many years. They have donated truckloads of running shoes to our Members in need and have sponsored our Sole Train running and Walking Club. They have also shared something intangible: the time and talents of their employees. One of those volunteers is Katt (pictured, far right, with other volunteers at our Oct. Resource Connection Day), who shared her story with Brooks colleagues in September during National Recovery Month. She has generously offered to share it with us here. We are so grateful to Katt for the enthusiasm and kindness she brings to the Café–and for her message of hope to all of us.
During National Recovery Month, it is important to share that recovery is possible, there is hope, and the light at the end of the tunnel is closer than it may appear. At Brooks, we believe that we can broaden our world by learning about others’ experiences. Here is a bit about mine.
I have loved Brooks from a young age and have fond memories of shopping at the Outlet Truckload Sale as a child. I always wanted to be a runner. But I did not quite understand that to be a runner, all you had to do was go running.
In adolescence, I struggled with mental health, trying to fit in and searching for the answers through drinking. Alcohol became a weight I dragged around with me. In 2015 I was putting in miles and working in healthcare, and I realized alcohol no longer served me and the lifestyle that I wanted to lead. I began my journey of sobriety.
During that time, I volunteered at the Truckload Sale. It was my way of giving back to something that gave so much to me. Thus, I started my career with Brooks. Our organization’s purpose of inspiring everyone to run their path was something I could live out every day by talking to customers.
In winter of 2021, with a few years of sobriety under my belt, I began to have some medical problems. I was losing weight, not menstruating, having severe migraines and fainting episodes, and developing vision problems. I heard the most dreaded sentence from my doctor: “You have to stop running.”
After a year of no running, no changes, countless appointments, and an MRI, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor behind my right eye. I was able to take an immediate leave of absence from Brooks.
A Personal Choice in Health Care
Upon meeting my neurosurgeon, as a person in recovery, my main concern was prescription painkillers. Over the years of my sobriety, I had witnessed the slippery slope in which people in recovery had surgery, took prescription painkillers, and became addicted. This was a situation I didn’t want to put myself in. I advocated for no painkillers, an extremely personal choice.
In October 2022, I had my surgery here in Seattle at the UW Medical Center. The surgery was a success! I recovered prescription-free in a recliner in my living room, binge-watching “Survivor.” Eventually I was able to walk to the stop sign down the street from my house — my personal marathon and best PR.
Following my surgery, I helped UW Medicine create a medical protocol and public service announcement for future patients in recovery who also battle with a decision over prescriptions. My belief is that recovery is also health care, and no one should have to advocate alone.
As I continued to heal, my mission shifted to help people find recovery, whatever that looks like for them. Last year I partnered with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office for the Lead the Way Program, which helps at-risk youth find resources at pivotal points in their life.
Connecting Through Advocacy and Community
A result of the surgery was that my vision was affected. I now have light sensitivity and anisocoria (my pupils are different sizes). I recently participated in [Brooks’] “Guidebook Training” experience to understand how to guide blind and low-vision runners. And through the Dare2tri nonprofit that specializes in adaptive sports, I intend to complete my lifelong dream of swimming Alcatraz.
At Seattle HQ, I also am an advisor for [Brooks’] Disability Employee Network Employee Resource Group (ERG). It has allowed me to connect with employees in recovery and advocate for accessibility for employees with visual impairment.
Currently I volunteer with Seattle’s Recovery Cafe, helping to make an impact here in King County alongside other Brooks teammates. [You may] utilize your [volunteer] hours for an upcoming volunteer opportunity.
To celebrate nine years of sobriety, I am planning to go skydiving! I have come to the realization that the endorphin lives within me; I don’t need to drink it to have a good time. I am enough, just the way I am — sober.
There’s No “I” in Run, because none of us can do alone what all of us can do together. There’s no “I” in Recovery either. My door is always open, come say hi!