Athlete credits sports for saving his life and helping him break free of all-consuming addiction

When someone is pulled into the depth of addiction, depression or other struggles, there is a dire need for something to help them climb out. For renowned athlete Jack Scott, sports was the hero behind his story. Positive News shared the story of the young man who overcame gambling and addiction and turned his life around, thanks to sports. After 6 years of suffering, Scott revealed that he was running towards a new life, away from the pain, brutality and more. The man who resorted to frequent gambling in his early 20s said that he saw no life for himself. 

It had become a dangerous addiction and Scott couldn’t wait to be paid to place his bets again and again. “I was just demolishing my future – it was a f**king whirlwind,” he added. He couldn’t see a future and thought he’d be “dead or in prison,” before 50. Having had experience in stamina and sports as a midfielder, Scott tried his luck at a marathon and finished the same in a brilliant 90 minutes. While he began his marathon journey, the stumbling block of the addictions always came back shunning hope and success. 

He had the power, the energy, the talent and more to make something of himself but Scott’s gambling was severe and nothing came before it, even if he wanted to. He moved in with his long-term partner, now his wife and hoped things would change but to no avail. “I’d told myself as soon as we got our own four walls and a roof I wasn’t going to gamble. This was my chance,” he says. “But I couldn’t do it. I probably lasted three weeks,” Scott explained. However, every dark cloud has its silver lining and Scott finally was able to see his lining during a race 5 years ago. Having performed an electrically wonderful performance, Scott broke the record of the King Offa Dyke race. 

“I realized I’d got a chance, that I did want to change. And whenever there’s a chance, just like with gambling, you f**king take it,” Scott remarked. He then registered with Gamstop to help bar him from gambling sites and get rid of his tragic habit. “It cut the head off the snake,” he said. Now 29-year-old Scott has different dreams and is chasing them passionately. “I have a black spot in me, an area of the brain or the soul, which is ruthless, selfish, unrealistic, and dangerous. All I’ve done is taken that out of the bookmakers’ hands, nourished it, got fitter and released it in running,” Scott said. 

Scott participated in the Montane Winter Spine race recently and broke the record by 10 hours, completing 268 miles in an unbelievably superb 72 hours and 55 minutes. “Be kind to yourself, and don’t be afraid to fail,” the athlete said. “I went on Gamstop maybe 10 times before I clicked the button – and that was that,” he added. “I never used to be the person you could trust. I never used to be the person who was a shining light. I never used to be the one who you could rely on. Now, I’m all that and more to people – and that’s the most important thing in my life right now,” Scott highlighted.