Maddie

And I went out to a little party with my friend from the house party years before, and I drank. And on our way back, she was driving, we got pulled over. So that was kind of my first experience with getting pulled over after I'd been drinking at 16 years old. And he was like, have y'all been drinking? I can smell alcohol. And we were like, no. Like, of course, tonight, everything.

And I went out to a little party with my friend from the house party years before, and I drank. And on our way back, she was driving, we got pulled over. So that was kind of my first experience with getting pulled over after I'd been drinking at 16 years old. And he was like, have y'all been drinking? I can smell alcohol. And we were like, no. Like, of course, tonight, everything.

And we both got out and did sobriety tests and both passed it. I don't know how, what was going on. But somehow, by the grace of God, I passed. like got out of that. And I think it was because I could show him that I had just gotten out of surgery. I honestly, I think that's the only reason we got out of it. But that was kind of like my first interaction with the police.

And we both got out and did sobriety tests and both passed it. I don't know how, what was going on. But somehow, by the grace of God, I passed. like got out of that. And I think it was because I could show him that I had just gotten out of surgery. I honestly, I think that's the only reason we got out of it. But that was kind of like my first interaction with the police.

and me knowing that I messed up and that I was potentially going to get in trouble for it.

and me knowing that I messed up and that I was potentially going to get in trouble for it.

Okay, that's good. They said that I could take beta blockers afterwards, like if any problems arose. But the reason they cauterized it is because... They said no problems will ever occur. You may feel like you're going to get into that again, like where your heart's going to start like crazy racing and you're going to hyperventilate. But what they cauterized will fix it. So I felt it before. Yeah.

Okay, that's good. They said that I could take beta blockers afterwards, like if any problems arose. But the reason they cauterized it is because... They said no problems will ever occur. You may feel like you're going to get into that again, like where your heart's going to start like crazy racing and you're going to hyperventilate. But what they cauterized will fix it. So I felt it before. Yeah.

That's scary. Yeah. Yeah. But the surgery fixed it and I was back drinking a week later. After that run in with the police, I kind of started focusing on a different friend group and really got into the sport I was in, which was cheer and really fell in love with that. It was a healthy habit. And so from like 16 to 18, I really didn't drink.

That's scary. Yeah. Yeah. But the surgery fixed it and I was back drinking a week later. After that run in with the police, I kind of started focusing on a different friend group and really got into the sport I was in, which was cheer and really fell in love with that. It was a healthy habit. And so from like 16 to 18, I really didn't drink.

I was hyper focused on cheer and where I could go to college and doing it competitively and doing it for my school. And I was in the best shape of my life and I had a community, you know, around me and I just fell in love. So around my senior year, I started trying out for different colleges, and I tried out for a college two hours north of my hometown in Dallas.

I was hyper focused on cheer and where I could go to college and doing it competitively and doing it for my school. And I was in the best shape of my life and I had a community, you know, around me and I just fell in love. So around my senior year, I started trying out for different colleges, and I tried out for a college two hours north of my hometown in Dallas.

My hometown is a small hometown two hours south of Dallas. It's small, but it's also next to a Army base. So we also had a much bigger population on our school. Like, I graduated with 711 kids. Wow. So, I mean, we were still big considering the size of the town.

My hometown is a small hometown two hours south of Dallas. It's small, but it's also next to a Army base. So we also had a much bigger population on our school. Like, I graduated with 711 kids. Wow. So, I mean, we were still big considering the size of the town.

But also that made for a competitive environment. And I really like engulfed myself in that environment. Like I just emerged myself into that environment. Of the competitive energy and just like go, go, go to be the best or like to try to make yourself stand out. So and we also had a lake. So I grew up on a barge and on a boat and my aunt had jet skis and everything.

But also that made for a competitive environment. And I really like engulfed myself in that environment. Like I just emerged myself into that environment. Of the competitive energy and just like go, go, go to be the best or like to try to make yourself stand out. So and we also had a lake. So I grew up on a barge and on a boat and my aunt had jet skis and everything.

you know there was still plenty to do but then also with growing up on the barge and the boat and the lake also there was drinking yeah um so you know when I say I grew up not really around drinking but kind of that's what I mean because it was always around but nobody ever got like out of their mind, drunk around, not that I remember, like not around me and my sister or anything.

you know there was still plenty to do but then also with growing up on the barge and the boat and the lake also there was drinking yeah um so you know when I say I grew up not really around drinking but kind of that's what I mean because it was always around but nobody ever got like out of their mind, drunk around, not that I remember, like not around me and my sister or anything.

So I never really seen like any drunk behavior until I started doing it, you know, myself and experiencing it with my friends. So I made the cheer team up here or up there in Dallas. And started cheering for them, started going to their practices. Um, and then I realized how hard it was going to be, um, school working.

So I never really seen like any drunk behavior until I started doing it, you know, myself and experiencing it with my friends. So I made the cheer team up here or up there in Dallas. And started cheering for them, started going to their practices. Um, and then I realized how hard it was going to be, um, school working.