Taylor Reed- 29
Grew up in Southeastern Colorado outside of a small town called Wiley. Roughly 400 people.
I am the youngest of 5.
Raised livestock as well as helping my dad, grandpa, and uncle farm. By the time I was 12, my brother
and I had a little over 500 goats and 150 head of cattle that we took care of. I was extremely passionate
about sports. My summers as a teenager were spent traveling the state playing on an all-star baseball
team. During the school year, I was immersed in football and basketball.
Won a couple of state titles in high school my sophomore year, football and baseball. Was quarterback on
the football team and was a pitcher/outfielder in baseball.
Was 1 of 12 players selected from the Midwest to play in the USA vs. Canada bowl game for 6-man
football.
Received a scholarship to play basketball at Otero Jr. College
Helped my cousins start a roustabout company in the oilfield industry when I was 19.
By the time I was 22 I was a construction supervisor and had 40 men working underneath me building
production facilities.
Addiction has always been prevalent in my life. I began drinking when I was 3, was getting blackout
drunk by the time I was 8. First started taking pain pills when I was 12. The first time I tried cocaine was the
same day we won the state title in football when I was 14. First tried heroin when I was 16.
I lost my scholarship for basketball due to a MIP, so after my 1 st semester I dropped out and began
working in the oilfield shortly after.
While I was in the oilfield, I had to have surgery for a hernia and when the Dr prescribed me pain pills,
that rekindled the fire for my addiction. After my pills ran out, I switched over to heroin.
I battled with my sobriety until I was 25 when I first entered treatment. It was a 30-day program and I
used it the second I got home. The next year was a struggle, barely maintained a job and was losing the
trust and respect of those that knew me. A couple of months before I went back to treatment for the
second time, I tried to overdose on heroin. Taking my life was the only way that I saw out.
The second round of treatment was the same outcome. Relapsed shortly after getting home.
After several months, I reached a new “rock bottom”. In a months’ time, I nearly overdosed the morning
of my brother's wedding, I had another failed suicide attempt by overdosing, went on a high-speed
chase, and landed up in county jail.
I was fortunate that the judge sentenced me to complete a long-term treatment center versus going to
prison for 5 years.
I competed in my first bodybuilding contest while I was in treatment and have been pursuing that ever
since.
"Live Limitless"
