{"id":621,"date":"2026-05-27T09:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2026-05-27T09:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:36:16","slug":"where-it-all-started-former-addict-returns-to-hawaii-for-half-ironman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=621","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Where it all started\u2019: Former addict returns to Hawaii for Half Ironman"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; A triathlon is one of the world\u2019s most challenging tests of endurance.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=620\">State launches virtual field trips to remote Hawaii seabird sanctuaries<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And on Saturday, athletes will take on that test along the South Kohala coast of Hawaii Island.<\/p>\n<p>The Half Ironman starts with a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and a half-marathon run.<\/p>\n<p>For competitor Todd Crandell, it won\u2019t be the toughest challenge he\u2019s faced. Most of his early life was surrounded by addiction.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cPeople can even look at my story and go, \u2018Oh look at that guy. He went from addict to Ironman.\u2019 Well, conceptually, yes,\u201d said Crandell.<\/p>\n<p>Crandell was 3 years old when he lost his mom and uncle to a drug addiction. He later lost an aunt to a food addiction and eventually struggled with addiction himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople have to understand how much work it takes to rebuild a life that was personally chosen to be destroyed with drugs and alcohol, and I take full accountability of those choices,\u201d said Crandell.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=618\">City officials update Waialua residents on Kona Low recovery efforts<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Crandell\u2019s wakeup call came on April 15, 1993, when the Ohio native was arrested for driving under the influence for the third time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the greatest gift I have received in that moment, because it gave me the ability to make a cognizant choice to stop using drugs,\u201d said Crandell. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember watching the Ironman in Hawaii back during my addiction and I looked at a friend of mine and I said, \u2018I\u2019m gonna do that someday,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Crandell spent eight years focused on sobriety and training before racing in his first Ironman. Since then, he\u2019s competed in 131 races.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday will mark his eleventh race in Hawaii.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis beautiful island and the vibe and the energy of this place gave me a second chance at life, and I have utilized that second chance to the fullest,\u201d said Crandell. \u201cI will always come back to Hawaii because this is where it all started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crandell hopes his journey can inspire others. He founded the nonprofit Racing for Recovery to support people dealing with addiction and mental health challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=616\">Maui school successfully launches garden to cafeteria lunches<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Todd Crandell, this weekend\u2019s Half Ironman won\u2019t be his toughest challenge. He grew up around addiction, then fought his own to rebuild his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Where it all started\u2019: Former addict returns to Hawaii for Half Ironman - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=621\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Where it all started\u2019: Former addict returns to Hawaii for Half Ironman - Hawaii Moving Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For Todd Crandell, this weekend\u2019s Half Ironman won\u2019t be his toughest challenge. 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