Four-time Olympian Ryan Lochte has embarked on a new journey, announcing his 54-day milestone of sobriety. The 12-time Olympic medalist shared the news on August 29 on Instagram. In a video update, the 41-year-old American shared the latest life change with fans.
“I am so happy right now, and the big reason is I am 54 days sober,” Lochte said in the update. “I’m motivated and I’m moving forward.”
Lochte said he entered a rehab facility in Florida to address his issues with substance abuse this summer. “It wasn’t the easiest decision in my life, but it’s something I had to do,” he admitted.
Lochte said the recovery staff helped him face some issues head-on and begin to rebuild his mindset as well as his day-to-day life.
“The staff there has been incredible,” he explained. “They helped me realize that substance abuse isn’t a solution, it’s just a distraction that makes things worse,” Lochte said, adding, “Now I feel so much better.”
In his statement, he said his 2023 car accident had changed his life and cited it as a cause of his abuse.
Lochte said the crash “sent me into a really dark place.” “I was giving up in life,” he continued. “I stopped. I didn’t care. My life was over at that moment.”
Lochte spoke candidly about his decision to get help. He is being honest with himself, his fans, and the media.
“In life, you’re going to get knocked down or hit a roadblock,” Lochte said. “It’s not how you get knocked out. It’s how you up.”
Lochte recently went through a divorce with his now ex-wife, Kayla Reid, with whom he was married for seven years. Reid recently came out accusing Lochte of using drugs in front of their children, according to US Weekly.
Lochte has positioned his sobriety as the first step in his journey, not the end.
“I am bettering myself each day,” Lochte said in the video. “It happens to good people, and there’s people who care about you.”
Lochte is one of the most decorated swimmers in American history. His 12 Olympic medals rank him as the second most decorated male Olympic swimmer in history, only behind Michael Phelps.
In his career, Lochte accumulated 90 international medals (54 gold, 22 silver, 14 bronze) between the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, and Pan Pacific Championships.
Lochte finished his authentic address by smiling and saying, “Let’s see this together.”
The entire Lochte family has substance abuse issues. See Steve Lochte.
He got treatment back in 2018 after trying to kick down his hotel room door in California. The police were called in that incident.
The way he talks about how much he loves his children always comes across to me like he feels the need to over-compensate for something. It all makes sense to me now…
This is a sad situation. This guy is a father to young children. And he’s allegedly leaving empty(ish?) bags of cocaine littered on the floor in his family’s dining room and kids’ bedrooms. I know it’s a reality for some people, but it’s heartbreaking to know kids grow up in these kinds of environments, with examples such as this being set by their fathers. It breaks my heart to know that this super talented dude is failing so miserably as a father.
And to a point about people talking about high achievers doing hard drugs. Many do, more don’t. And it comes at a cost. This is the risk you take. Everyone who uses starts out thinking they can keep… Read more »
Whoah! I’m really out of the loop! The last thing I saw regarding Ryan was that his mom stole his Olympic medals or something…. If I recall, his wife was in background playing with the kids. Obviously I’m not up on current events.
Get well Ryan.
I don’t know what’s harder to believe: that he had reached so HIGH, the highest humans can, with his weaknesses and demons or that he could go so LOW with all he had achieved.
In many other countries, the swimming association would support him whichever way they can.
You know the saying, the harder you are, the higher you fall.
Ever notice how much Ryan Lochte looks like Tim Koons, that swimmer at Princeton back in the late 70s? They could be brothers…
I hope Ryan gets the opportunity to heal from his troubles.
Sobriety is a smart thing to do.