Drop 002: Coming Soon

Everyone has a story, but not everyone survives long enough to tell it. Mine is one of chaos, survival, loss, and ultimately, change and more importantly, hope. For years, I lived a life that many don’t come back from. This is the truth of where I’ve been, what I’ve lost, and how I found a reason to fight for something better.

For over two decades, I lived a life of crime, fueled by addiction and spiralled through the depths of hell. I started using drugs at a very young age, and the consequences were quite severe. I faced countless arrests, rehab centres, house arrests, and jail time. I lived that life to the fullest but it lead to too many court rooms, accidents, ambulance rides, multiple heart attacks, impaired driving charges and the loss of most of my closest friends. 

I reached a pivotal moment though and that lifestyle brought me to my knees finally, and on May 1, 2023, I realized that I either had to change my life or risk losing everything.

My daughter was born in 2021 and  it made me take a hard look at myself. I wasn’t the man I needed to be. Not for her and not for my own life. Losing access to her made it real. I couldn’t keep going the way I was. Something had to change. And it had to be me.

I took many steps and went through many more challenges to get to where I am now 3 years later and it was anything but easy. I’m proud to say, I graduated college for Addictions & Community Health which also helped solidify my journey and helped me discover my true passions.

It’s not easy to tell a story like this for a lot of reasons. But I’m sharing mine in the hope that it helps someone else share theirs.

With AF, we’re building something bigger than clothing. We want to show that it’s cool to be sober. It’s okay to talk about mental health.

And it’s time we stop hiding in shame and start walking this path together.

We want to create this AF Movement, to be Authentic and Fearless and encourage others to do the same. It is our hope to help support those still in addiction and through their recovery journey. 

My personal mission is to raise awareness and funds to assist individuals on their recovery journey. I envision a world where people can share their stories and find strength in our AF community.

Through events, awareness, and partnerships with local organizations, I aim to provide any help, resources and hope to those in need. Together, we can inspire change, foster healing, and build a network of support for everyone affected by addiction.

Wearing my Sober AF hoodie not only masks the shame and highlights my pride in my recovery, it also holds me accountable and is the true flex.

This is just the beginning! 

I want to invite anyone who would like to join me in sharing their stories and help pave the way for a brighter future. Let us know how wearing AF Authentic & Fearless makes you feel and why you’re wearing yours.

Together, we can make a difference. 

Stay tuned for a deeper version of my story, what I went through, the challenges I faced, and how I pushed through it all. If it helps even one person see that recovery is possible for them too, it’s worth sharing.

Looking forward to hearing YOUR AF story!

- Matthew