Derrick Moore’s story is a powerful testament to resilience, redemption, and the unwavering strength required to overcome addiction.
Now 35, Derrick was once a prolific athlete from East Anchorage, Alaska, with a promising future.
But at just 18, his life took a sudden and devastating turn. A series of choices and circumstances led him down a path he never imagined, ultimately facing expulsion from school, losing his scholarships, and ending up on the wrong side of the law.
By the time he reached adulthood, Derrick’s life had become a cycle of addiction, incarceration, and survival.
For 14 long years, Derrick struggled to break free from his past.
His life revolved around addiction, and he found himself in and out of prison, trying to escape the painful reality he’d fallen into.
Drugs and alcohol took center stage, and every attempt to change seemed to end in failure.
Yet beneath it all, he held onto a faint hope that things could someday be different.
In 2022, Derrick achieved something he hadn’t managed in years: his first full year without a single drink, drug, or day in jail.
This milestone marked a pivotal turning point in his journey—a reclaiming of his life, confidence, and purpose.
Now, Derrick’s mission is to help others find the same freedom. He wants to break down the shame and stigma that often come with addiction, offering a message of hope for those who feel they’ve lost everything.
Rediscovering Purpose through Sobriety
For Derrick, the journey to sobriety has been about more than just abstaining from substances; it’s about rebuilding himself from the inside out.
“Addiction took everything from me—my confidence, my charisma, my swagger, my belief in myself,” he recalls.
Among the hardest challenges he faced was overcoming a heroin addiction that dominated his life.
At just 23, Derrick was using heroin daily, a habit that persisted for two and a half years and led to multiple stints in prison.
After his first prison sentence, Derrick attempted to regain control, but the grip of addiction remained strong.
Relapsing into heroin and meth, he spent another two years in that life before being sent back to prison for four years.
This pattern seemed unbreakable—until one day, everything changed.
Derrick’s turning point came while he was incarcerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. When lockdown hit, all external access to drugs ceased.
Forced to endure withdrawal alone in a prison cell, he began to take a hard look at himself and confront the reality of his choices.
This experience of isolation and withdrawal brought a newfound sense of accountability.
“In that cell, I knew I couldn’t keep blaming the world or my circumstances,” Derrick says.
“I had to start making choices that would lead me somewhere else, somewhere better.”
Embracing Healing and Accountability
Since then, Derrick has dedicated himself to a life of purpose, resilience, and service.
He’s committed to breaking down the harmful stigmas around addiction and empowering others to pursue their own path to recovery.
Through his work, he emphasizes the importance of small steps, advising those struggling to “look at the micro, not the macro.”
For Derrick, recovery is built on the little steps that add up to big changes—steps he now encourages others to take in their own journey.
Running has become one of Derrick’s personal forms of therapy. He often sets out for 15-20 mile runs in nature, where he finds peace, clarity, and connection.
This time spent in nature allows him to reflect, reset, and reinforce his commitment to staying clean.
Running, he says, has taught him discipline, endurance, and the value of perseverance, all of which have helped him maintain his sobriety.
Today, Derrick is a motivational speaker, a recovery coach, and an author.
His book, 7 Steps from Addiction to Sobriety, offers practical advice and insights drawn from his own experiences.
He has also built an online community called Hardaway Living through the Skool app, where he provides support, encouragement, and resources for people working on sobriety, personal growth, and fitness.
His goal is to create a safe, judgment-free space where individuals can connect, learn, and grow together.
Through his free webinars, Derrick addresses critical topics like managing stress, coping with anxiety, and dealing with addiction triggers.
He’s also committed to giving back through walks for recovery and community events, where he continues to inspire others through his words and actions.
A Message of Hope for Those Struggling
When asked what he would say to someone who’s currently battling addiction, Derrick’s advice is simple yet profound: “Don’t underestimate the power of one step.”
He believes that recovery is a journey that doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
Focusing on small, manageable steps—whether it’s reaching out for help, setting a daily goal, or building new routines—can make a world of difference.
For Derrick, the key to staying sober lies in the life he’s built around it.
“My life is so much better now, and I have so much to lose,” he says.
Sobriety has given him a new purpose: to coach and mentor others on their journey to recovery.
Today, his career as a recovery coach is both his passion and his reminder of the importance of staying clean.
Derrick’s story reminds us that, no matter how deep the darkness, it’s possible to find a way forward.
Through hard work, accountability, and the willingness to face our own truths, we can reclaim our lives, one step at a time.
Derricks Instagram here
