My name is Martin Lockett, and I am 43 years old. I was born and raised in Portland, OR. I am a recovering alcoholic with a clean date of 1/1/2004. But it was a long, arduous journey getting here. I grew up in a loving household of two parents and three siblings. We didn’t have much by most standards, but the love was felt and our family was close. Our parents had us involved in sports, church, and Cub Scouts to keep us from the negative in our community. But I struggled with being shy and socializing with other teens, so when I reached high school, I would do anything to fit in and be accepted. This led to taking my first drink at a party at age 14, skipping school, and getting into trouble. By age 16, I was a full blown alcoholic. I found myself drinking in isolation more and more because I was struggling to cope with identity issues, depression and deep-seated insecurities. Instead of facing these challenges head on, it was much easier for me to drown my self pity in a bottle of Brandy. Alcohol was my best friend – until it wasn’t. My alcoholism led to a DUI crash on New Year’s Eve of 2003 that killed two people and severely injured another. While reading a newspaper article about the crash in my cell days later, I discovered my victims were in recovery at the time of their deaths and had devoted their lives to helping others get sober. I decided I would dedicate the rest of my life to carrying on their legacies by helping those who struggle in active addiction. I spent the next 17.5 years in prison educating myself, mentoring inmates, and pursuing a career in substance abuse counseling. I attained a master’s in psychology, state certification as a substance abuse counselor, and published two books. I began speaking at DUI victim impact panels within the prison and continue to do so today. I do the work daily to keep myself sober because I know I am merely one drink away from catastrophe all over again.