73: GUEST: Addict to Organ Recipient to 300-Mile Ultrarunner- Meet Kelly Thrush!

The Everyday Awesome Project

This week Coach Sam sits down with her friend and fellow ultra runner Kelly Thrush @just_keep_going. His story is nothing short of a miracle so buckle your seat belt! When doctors told Kelly he had just weeks to live due to end-stage liver failure at only 38, he could have given up. Instead, he and his girlfriend (now Wife:) found themselves on an extraordinary journey of transformation that would lead from the darkest depths of addiction to the heights mountains of human endurance.
In this raw and deeply moving conversation, we explore how this alcoholic liver transplant recipient defied all medical expectations to become an ultramarathon runner who recently completed the grueling Arizona Monster 300 – a 304.4-mile trek across punishing desert terrain! But the physical achievement is merely the backdrop to a more profound internal transformation.
"The addict part of me that I was so ashamed of? It's one of the best skill sets I got," he reveals, explaining how the tenacity that once drove his addiction became his greatest strength when properly channeled. This perspective shift allowed him to not only reclaim his life but to create the Gratitude and Grace Foundation, supporting other transplant patients and those in recovery.

www.gratitudeandgracefoundation.org
The conversation takes us through vivid trail experiences – from hallucinating bumblebee-costumed figures on mountain trails to the emotional breakthrough that came when his wife simply said, "I am so proud of you." These moments of vulnerability reveal how extreme physical challenges can strip away our protective layers, bringing us to what he calls "that raw core of myself."
What emerges is a powerful meditation on worthiness, perseverance, and the human capacity for change. From destroying relationships through addiction to being surrounded by a community of supporters at his ultramarathon finish line, his journey illustrates how our darkest moments can become the foundation for extraordinary transformation.
Whether you're facing your own challenges, supporting someone through recovery, or simply seeking inspiration, this conversation will remind you that with the right support and mindset, we can all keep moving forward – one step at a time.

-Coach Sam xoxo

@everydayawesomeproject

Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject
Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject

Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

Chapters

1. 73: GUEST: Addict to Organ Recipient to 300-Mile Ultrarunner- Meet Kelly Thrush! (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Through Shared Suffering (00:00:46)

3. End Stage Liver Failure at 38 (00:10:19)

4. Finding Surrender in the Hospital (00:18:27)

5. The Reality of Addiction (00:27:34)

6. Birth of Gratitude and Grace Foundation (00:38:59)

7. The Arizona Monster 300-Mile Race (00:54:43)

8. Sleep Deprivation and Hallucinations (01:01:19)

9. Mind Over Matter: Talking to His Feet (01:15:36)

10. Finding Raw Emotional Clarity (01:20:17)