Ryan Sheckler, a professional skateboarder, was once an alcoholic. So much so that alcohol ended up ruining his life. However, after recognizing the extent to which his addiction was affecting his life, he entered rehab and became sober. As of now, the athlete is back on track and prepared to embark on a new journey.
Sheckler, Ryan Restored to Business
Sheckler has been dubbed one of the sport’s greatest athletes. Without a doubt, he has come a long way in overcoming personal and professional obstacles thanks to his amazing tricks and techniques. Although the COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly all sports competitions and contests, he kept himself busy maintaining the skateboarding community.
Sheckler contributed to those trying times by assisting sponsors via social media activations and spending considerable time in skateparks. Additionally, he collaborated with Red Bull to organize a socially-diverse skateboarding competition featuring some of the world’s best skateboarders. He succinctly explained the competition’s rules to Forbes:
One skater and one videographer have an hour to film the best line they can. Then, a panel of professional skateboarding judges will judge it and present the winner with a prize.
Ryan Sheckler’s Life Is Circumscribed by Skateboarding
On August 11, 2020, the six-time X Games champion launched team Oakley’s remake of Bob Marley’s superhit song, “One Love,” alongside some of the world’s best athletes. Celeste, a British-Jamaican singer, provided vocals for the video, which also featured various sports superstars demonstrating their respective professional journeys. Sheckler stated in the same Forbes interview that being a part of Oakley’s “For the Love of Sport” Campaign demonstrated his passion for the sport and the process surrounding it.
And being a part of this campaign has reinforced my love for skateboarding and the process of skating, even when the going gets tough, really tough, and you slam or break a bone. Not only that, but the skateboarder also runs a skateboarding-focused website called Sand Lot Times.
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Additionally, the website contains lifestyle, health, and fitness guides. He, along with other professionals, frequently updates the website with episodes and short clips about the sport. The videos are completely unscripted and shot in the skate park without the intervention of his team.
Everything is entirely within our control. Everything about it is skater-created and skater-conceived. There is no large network dictating the type of story we should be filming. It’s as if we see who comes to the park, enters, and film everything that happens. It’s usually quite chaotic and quite enjoyable. It’s fascinating to observe people in their element, being natural and unforced. There are currently nine episodes available on the site, with more to come. If you watched MTV’s Life of Ryan in 2007, you might recall that Sheckler has previously appeared in episodic shows.
The reality show introduced him to the world and gave his fans a glimpse into his day-to-day life as a professional skateboarder. Unfortunately, the show was also his downfall, as the star was unable to cope with the Hollywood lifestyle and succumbed to alcoholism.
Ryan Sheckler was formerly an addict.
The athlete was previously a cast member of an MTV reality show, Life of Ryan, which focused on him juggling his growing celebrity status with family obligations. Sheckler eventually lost focus and was discouraged from pursuing his true passion. Even though his life in front of the camera was over, the lavish lifestyle persisted long after the show concluded.
His addiction supplanted his passion for skateboarding. Not only did alcoholism jeopardize his professional commitments, but it also jeopardized his physical and mental health. The American athlete reached rock bottom after failing to qualify for the 2016 X Games in Oslo. As a result, he decided to enter rehab at the age of 25. The Life of Ryan star revealed in an interview with Vice that alcohol became a major factor in his life, affecting everything else.
Since I was seven, my life has been moving at a hundred miles per hour. “He exhales a sigh. I had no idea how to drink, how much to drink, or how to set boundaries. I bought a house when I was 18, and we partied because I was the only student with one. It felt entirely natural. It hit me hard when I was 25 and realized that my passion for skateboarding was dwindling because all I wanted to do was a party and got wasted. It was so deserted.
He is four years sober as of now, having checked himself into rehab in 2016 and never looking back. With a clear vision, the athlete can now focus on his skateboarding career and has a few projects lined up to help him achieve his goal.
