BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – A Bangor couple is launching a new fitness program next week.
They have struggled with addiction but now find themselves sober and thriving.
As TV5 found out, it was exercise they credit for this Second Chance.
“I used to be 350 pounds myself, so to be down to 215, if I can do it, anybody can do it, and that’s my message,” said John Paradis.
He and his wife Lisa Ross are the founders of Second Chance Lifestyle Change. It’s a workout based sobriety program.
“It’s everything that’s not right now” he said. “It’s a completely different path to success. It takes a lot of different programs that are out there such as NA, AA. Instead of trying to cure addiction, switching it to a healthier one.”
December will be six years sober for John. He was addicted to opiates, affecting not only himself but his family.
“It was a mess,” said Lisa. “It was a complete mess. My best friend wasn’t really my best friend at that time. He was kind of lost inside his own head. We lost a lot of people along the way that we’ve known. Second Chance is where it’s at now, where we want it to be to help other people that are struggling like myself that haven’t had the addiction. Because loving them is just as hard as going through it with them.”
They started to work through it by walking together.
“When I say walking, it was about 10 or 12 miles a day,” explained John. “From there, it needed to turn into more.”
“It’s made us bond a lot better. We talk a lot more. Our daughter, she’s seven, and she’s involved with it, and she loves to tell her friends about it. It’s exciting,” said Lisa.
Now they want to help others down the same path. They’ll launch Second Chance next Tuesday the 13th. The three month program is completely free and will run from 6-7 at night. Bangor Housing is donating the space at their Community Center on Davis Road. In September, they will add a second Thursday class from 11am to Noon.
“We want people to know that they are not alone because a lot of people feel like they are,” Lisa said.
John added, “And we want to make a change. We want to beat what’s going on. We want something different. We need something. This is what I believe is going to be the start of it. I know it will work.”
If you would like to register for the class, donate to the cause, or just have some questions answered, you can visit their Second Chance Lifestyle Facebook page.
There is a link below.
https://m.facebook.com/secondchancelifestylechange/
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