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Everyday Heroes: Go The Distance – Recovery through physical fitness
Fri, August 7, 2026 at 5:10 PM
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At CODA’s Gresham Recovery Center, a group of men is taking literal steps toward recovery, with Izzy Alvarado setting the pace
GRESHAM, Ore. (KATU) —At CODA’s Gresham Recovery Center, a group of men is taking literal steps toward recovery, with Izzy Alvarado setting the pace
Izzy knows the benefits because he took those steps himself. He’s been sober from alcohol and drugs since 2017
“I just feel so blessed that I’m able to be standing here, that my body is right, and to be able to show the patients that we do recover, we do recover. If you can just stay sober each day, build that foundation, anything is possible,” Izzy says
Two years into his own recovery, Izzy founded Go The Distance, a non-profit that helps people recover from addiction by introducing movement into their lives
Four years later, Izzy works with 12 recovery centers in the Portland metro area, hosting 27 runs a week
“I love Izzy. Izzy is just on fire for recovery and that’s really what we look for in people coming in and helping our patients,” says Leslie Johnson, director of Coda’s recovery programs. About the benefits for Coda’s patients, she says, “They get to talk to other people who have been in recovery and they can relate to them, ask advice and get encouragement. But the other thing that we see is just this sense of pride that our patients have when they come back from runs, that they did it. You know, they went out, they accomplished it.”
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Izzy’s work has attracted dozens of sponsors and community partners, including athletic footwear company on, so after six weeks in the GTD program, in addition to a medal and plaque, each graduate gets a free pair of running shoes
“Sometimes this is the very first thing that they’ve accomplished in their lives. I did not expect that we’ve given out over 3,000 pairs of shoes in that seven years. So 3,000 people have gone through our program and have succeeded. That is wild,” says Izzy
For some, running doesn’t stop after recovery. 20 graduates of GTD participated in this year’s Portland Marathon. From the first step to the 26th mile, Izzy is cheering them on
Izzy has dreams to expand GTD across Oregon, maybe even the nation, but he needs donations and volunteers to do that. You can help by signing up for the 3rd annual GTD Run & Walk for Recovery on Saturday, September 13 at Fernhill Park in NE Portland
