BHS grad Greg Nance to run island shoreline for mental health and addiction support
North Kitsap HeraldAug 18, 2020
On the surface, just about anyone would be envious of
He grew up in a loving family and attended
His resume as an adult is also impressive. His successful entrepreneurship hase drawn acclaim from all over the globe. In his spare time, he has completed numerous physical challenges — reaching the summit of peaks worldwide, swimming some of the Earth's major rivers and completing the World Marathon Challenge in which he ran seven in seven days on seven continents.
But today Nance faces his greatest challenge — sharing the darkest moments of his life with the hope of helping the world. A deeper look reveals a time marked with drug addiction and mental health issues. He plans to share that story on a cross country run from
But first, on
Why 3,000 miles? Well, it's one mile for every day he has been sober.
A tragedy hits home
Nance reached a crossroads in his life at age 16. His grandfather, Charlie, a veteran who served in the Battle of
But when Charlie suffered a debilitating stroke, Nance's world crashed down around him. He saw his hero, still physically strong and mentally sharp in his later years, suddenly become powerless.
"It hit me like a ton of bricks," Nance said.
Teenagers occasionally engaging in casual drinking is not unusual, and Nance, popular and ubiquitous, had been to a few parties in his young life. But after his crisis of faith, his alcohol use accelerated quickly. He went from drinking with friends on weekends, to drinking after class. He eventually graduated to drinking before class as well. Not long after, he got access to opiates through a friend.
The alcohol helped Nance self-medicate and mask his anxiety and depression. He was in deep denial, and worse, feared the social stigma he believed would follow being branded as an addict or mentally ill. He isolated himself and his pain instead of seeking help.
"I always felt like I was alone on that journey," Nance said.
He attributed his accomplishments to his relentless, goal-oriented personality. He tackled his athletic and academic pursuits with vigor and verve, taking countless swings off the batting tee and practicing and researching his debate arguments each night. Unfortunately, he followed his addiction with the same spirit. He worked hard and played hard.
And when his friends noticed he'd done too much "playing," he pivoted to another social group.
He wasn't able to keep it entirely buttoned up. When he began blowing off math class in favor of malt liquor and refused to turn in homework, Nance was suspended from the tennis team. But he was eventually welcomed back with open arms by coach
Nance credits Anderson and debate coach
"You don't feel like you can get help," Nance said. "What will people think? It's a really vicious cycle. You're alienated from the pain you're feeling."
Hitting
Nance's time at the
While he and his co-founders were winning plaudits in the entrepreneurial and political world for their initiative, Nance's addiction continued. And they didn't stop at
But for all of his accomplishments, he could not escape the hold of his addiction. He'd had three emergency room visits he didn't even remember; he'd woken up in
Having squandered his Gates Scholarship stipend and missed his rent payment, the provost looked him in the eye and called him a "disgrace."
"That was the moment I really had nowhere to go," Nance said.
Embarrassed, and attempting to process simultaneously his feeling of guilt and shame, he took off to the rainy English countryside to face up to his addiction once and for all. It was time to quit. He had his last drink on
Honoring a Milestone
On
But what does a man who has finished ultramarathons in 10 countries and has run 250 kilometers across the Gobi Desert with a knee injury do that could possibly top that?
Inspired by the number 3,000, Nance decided on a cross-country run. And along the way he'd tell his story of coming to terms with his challenges and connect with people who have similar difficulties along the way.
"I'm terrified of this, and that's exactly why I need to do it," Nance said.
Nance plans to average 40 miles per day over 75 days. He wants to put together a team of producers to set up community events to connect folks battling their own addictions and then follow up with them, all with the goal of reducing the shame and stigma surrounding mental health — the overarching theme being that overcoming addiction is a marathon, not a sprint.
He had initially planned to begin his run in October, but given the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will most likely be delayed until spring or whenever he can begin safely.
For now, he'll settle for a jaunt around his home island. Nance plans to begin at
Well-wishers are encouraged to head to the beach. You can connect with him on Instagram @GregRunsFar. There will be a link to a live-tracker to mark his progress. He's got about eight hours to accomplish the feat, which essentially means he'll run back-to-back four-hour marathons. He's prepared by running a marathon every Monday morning since April.
Nance's ultimate hope is that his story can be the spark that inspires everyone to share their struggles and get the help they need.
"Your mind is far stronger than you realize," Nance said. "I want to channel that and build on that."