Nova 106.9 Breakfast announcer Susie O’Neill wanted to get a little deep with fellow announcer Ash Bradnam and spoke about his sobriety.

It’s been a long road for Ash to get to where he is today. Last Friday, he hit a personal milestone – 18 months sober. 

Susie asked him about his journey this morning. Here’s what Ash had to say:

“What’s happened to me over the 18 months – and especially lately – is I’ve had so many people reach out to me… people who are struggling to get that first day up, and turn that first day into a second day…
“It took me 10 years? 15 years? I honestly can’t remember. The amount of times I would go through the nightmare of the thing.”

Ash ran a marathon with his wife, Jodie, the day before the milestone – his 11th. It made him realise something significant about his struggle:

“What hit me… was the fact the marathon, it’s in reverse… So when I get to the 30k mark, when I get to the end of the marathon, that’s when it gets really hard. Like really – every step is hard and you just want to give up, and it hit me that… ‘I can’t believe I’m 18 months sober tomorrow.’ For me, it’s a miracle.

“It’s a miracle that I’m even here… Every day is a new world record for me.

“What hit me was that no marathon that I’ve ever run – and I’ve done eleven now – is ever as hard as getting those first few days up.”

Susie asked, “Is it easier now, 18 months down the track, than it was the first week, or is every day [a struggle]?”

“I never knew my life could be like this – could be as good. I’ve never been happier.”

Listen to Ash open up about his struggle here: