Olympic Gold Medalist on Alcoholism, Recovery, and Redemption

How exactly does a three-time Olympic gold medalist end up with alcohol use disorder? At just 16, Carrie Bates stood on the Olympic podium with a gold medal around her neck. To the world, she had it all — talent, drive, and glory. But behind the scenes, Carrie was fighting a growing battle with alcohol that nearly cost her everything. In this episode, Olympian Carrie Bates opens up about her journey from the top of the podium to nearly losing everything.

Despite her success, Carrie saw many of the same warning signs many people face: denial, escalating drinking, and the belief that achievement meant she couldn’t possibly have a problem. Surrounded by a culture that celebrated alcohol, she ignored loved ones’ concerns and spiraled into dangerous behaviors — until a crisis forced her to confront the truth.

Listen and learn:

• how cultural messages about alcohol normalize addiction
• the early warning signs of alcohol misuse, even for high achievers
• why recovery is not instant — and how resilience leads to lasting change

Carrie’s story is more than a cautionary tale. It’s proof that recovery is possible, even after relapse and setbacks. By learning to surrender, ask for help, and reframe what strength truly means, she found lasting healing — and now uses her voice to help others do the same.

Our guest, Carrie Bates, is an advocate for recovery. As a three-time Olympic gold medalist (OLY) in swimming and a person in recovery, she deeply understands the interplay of the drive for excellence, trauma, life changes, and addiction. Sharing her truth and living her recovery out loud has been at the center of her work. Since 2012, she has helped others access treatment and fought to end the stigma that surrounds the brain disease of substance use disorder.

Carrie came to Caron Treatment Center in 2025 as director of strategic growth and advocacy. In her role, she works with partners in recovery to help more families in need access treatment and support services, promote Caron’s neurorestorative approach to treatment, reduce stigma, and advance awareness about addiction as a brain disease and the benefits of recovery. Carrie is passionate about prevention, the importance of mental wellness, the impact of addiction on families, the difficulties women face in accessing treatment and recovery support, and the role of employers and workplaces to support recovery.

Before coming to Caron, she served as an outreach manager for Hazelden Betty Ford where she worked directly with employers, patients, and their families to navigate the process of finding the treatment they need for sustainable recovery. Carrie has been a fixture in traditional media, podcasts and as a keynote speaker sharing her personal story, tips for families, and hope.

Carrie spent the better part of her career before entering the treatment and recovery field as a sales and marketing career at Nike, Inc.

She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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