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Former pro hockey player who lost everything to addiction will speak at STORM event
Brady Leavold will share his experience of addiction and recovery at the free fourth annual Speaking Through the Storm event in Maple Ridge on Dec. 1. Tickets can be reserved through The ACT or by phone.
Former professional hockey player Brady Leavold will share his story of resilience after addiction at the fourth annual Speaking Through the Storm event. Organized by Stop Overdose Ridge Meadows, the free evening is inspired by TED Talks and features memorable stories from people with lived experience of substance use.
Leavold was once a professional hockey player, but his struggles began before his pro career. On his website, he describes how early childhood trauma and the pressures of the game led him down a dark path. After being prescribed OxyContin, he became addicted and lost everything. He eventually became homeless on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. After nearly a year on the streets, he found himself in jail, a place he never imagined he would be.
For more than a decade, Leavold battled addiction, surviving multiple overdoses and suicide attempts that nearly ended his life. In February 2020, he found the strength to change his life. Since then, he has inspired thousands across Canada and beyond to speak up, seek help and believe they can overcome adversity.
Stop Overdose Ridge Meadows, also known as the Ridge Meadows Overdose Community Action Team, is a multi-sector group of municipal and community partners. Its members include people from Alouette Addictions, Fraser Health, RainCity Housing, the Salvation Army, School District 42 and other organizations. The group works to develop a community-based response to the opioid overdose crisis, identify challenges, address gaps as they emerge, and increase compassion, engagement and inclusion across the community.
This year’s Speaking Through the STORM event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place in Maple Ridge. The evening will include a dessert bar and a panel discussion with experts in the field of addiction.
Tickets are available through The ACT and can be reserved by calling 604-476-2787. More information about Stop Overdose Ridge Meadows is at https://www.stopoverdoseridgemeadows.ca/.