Fighting for recovery

Editor's note - Richie Webber, a local activist in the recovery movement and MMA fighter shares his inspiration before his title fight at Summer Slugfest.On August 20. 2014 I was dead on my mother's bathroom floor. I had to be hit twice with narcan, they didn't think i was going to make it.Two years later, on August 20, 2016 I will be fighting for my first MMA title at Summer Slugfest.Two years, hard work, and a belief in something greater than myself is all it took to go from death to the life I have now.It hasn't always been easy. I've lost three friends and a woman I loved. My friend Bryce died... That was my motivation to get clean. My friend James died... that was my motivation to stay clean. My best friend, Charles died... that was my inspiration to fight, both literally and figuratively. I wanted to fight for recovery.I started training MMA in his honor and won my first fight in 34 seconds. I told a crowd of more than 700 people that Charles was a great man. He was a state wrestler in high school as well as a mixed martial artist. Not all addicts are bad people.After that I realized how MMA could be a great way to raise awareness about the heroin epidemic.I started a meeting for recovering addicts, as well as a meeting for families who have a loved one struggling with addiction. I formed my non profit #FightForRecovery.(Read more about #FightForRecovery)Things are starting to change. Many addicts in my community are no longer ashamed to say they are recovering addicts. Parents no longer hide the fact that their child is in recovery.Everyone from mayors to businesses to local law enforcement has come together to make a change. We still have a long way to go but we are only getting started.Just because you're down and out doesn't mean you're down for the count. It's never too late to make a change, and that change can start today. Not only is recovery possible but all things are possible through recovery.I'm dedicating my fight at Summer Slugfest to Kayla Davis, who passed away July 20.Recovering heroin addict Richie Webber will be raising money to support fellow recovering addicts in an upcoming mixed martial arts fight.