In this episode of The Clean Play Podcast, Anne and Chris welcome their second guest, Rachel K, for a powerful conversation about recovery, relapse, and resilience—both on the field and off.
A lifelong athlete and proud St. Louis native, Rachel shares how growing up in a city obsessed with sports shaped her mindset around hard work, community, and accountability. From early mornings at softball practice to standing under stadium lights cheering on her teams, she talks about the lessons sports taught her: discipline, repetition, humility, and the ability to bounce back after failure.
Rachel opens up about returning to sobriety after a relapse—what she learned from it, how she rebuilt her foundation, and the game plan that keeps her steady today. Through sports metaphors and real-life honesty, she shows how the athlete mentality can be one of the greatest assets in recovery.
This conversation is a reminder that setbacks don’t define you—they refine you. Whether you’re in early sobriety, rebuilding after sport, or learning how to start over, this episode will help you find strength in showing up again and again.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How relapse can become a catalyst for deeper recovery
Why athletic repetition mirrors sober consistency
What it means to turn day one into day won
How to stay connected to your team—on and off the field
Why “having a plan” keeps you in the game when life tests you
Key Quote:
“Every day you show up is another rep. Some days you hit two out of a hundred, some days ninety-five—but you keep shooting.”
