Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Welcome to Rise Above with Kevin Lanning. Join Kevin, a former Google executive in sobriety, as he shares inspiring stories of resilience. Each episode features individuals who have faced life’s toughest challenges—addiction, trauma, anxiety, and more—and emerged stronger. These conversations aren’t just about survival; they’re about thriving and finding practical solutions to rise above adversity. Kevin’s own journey through addiction and childhood trauma fuels his passion for sharing stories that uplift, educate, and inspire. Tune in and discover the strength within you.

Latest Episodes:

He Broke His Neck…Then Came Back to Win 5 World Titles | The INSANE Life of Vinny Paz Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

Boxing legend Vinny Paz sits down in the flesh on RISE ABOVE. The Tasmanian Devil himself. One of the wildest true comeback stories in all of sports.

Vinny broke his neck in a horrific car accident — doctors told him he’d never walk again… and he came back and won 5 world titles.

In this raw, unfiltered interview… Vinny opens up about chasing Muhammad Ali, fame, insane nightlife stories, partying with major celebrities, gambling a million dollars in one night, the movie made about his life, and what kept him alive when most would’ve quit.

If you’ve ever needed proof that the human spirit can overcome ANYTHING — this is it.

RISE ABOVE is about hope, adversity, and transformation. And Vinny Paz is living proof.

Subscribe for more real stories that give people strength to keep going.

#VinnyPaz #RiseAbovePodcast #BoxingLegends #ComebackStory #SportsDocumentary #CrazyLifeStories #OvercomingAdversity #NeverGiveUp #RedemptionStory #BoxingHistory #Motivation #AddictionRecovery #TriumphOverTragedy #UnderdogSpirit #MuhammadAliInspired

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OxyContin Turned My Life Into a Nightmare | A Survivor’s Shocking Story Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

At 17, Jerry thought he’d found a party drug that made him feel unstoppable.
OxyContin. The blue 160s. The Florida pill mill days. He had no idea what was coming next.

Within years, addiction took over his life — and just when he thought he’d escaped it, a motorcycle crash left him literally cut in half.
Doctors said he wouldn’t survive. He flatlined three times. Sixty-eight surgeries later, Jerry is still here to tell the story.

In this shocking interview, Jerry reveals:

What life was really like inside Florida’s pill-mill scene
How OxyContin destroyed an entire generation
The crash that tore his body apart — and how he forgave the woman who caused it
What he saw when he died — and the spiritual moment that brought him back

This is one of the wildest, most powerful stories ever told on Rise Above.

#OxyContin #OxyAddiction #FloridaPillMill #RiseAbovePodcast #AddictionRecovery #OpiateAddiction #NearDeathExperience #SurvivorStory #Sobriety #AddictionStory #DrugEpidemic #PainkillerAddiction #Resilience #ComaSurvivor #MiracleSurvivor

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I Was a Reality TV Star—and a Raging Alcoholic | How Addiction Took Over My Life Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Chris Rosburg spent his 20s chasing ego, fame, and the next high — from starring in a Budweiser commercial to being cast in a reality TV show. But beneath the spotlight was an addiction that nearly killed him.

In this episode, Chris opens up about the fear of losing his identity when getting sober, his journey through rehab, finding fellowship and faith, and how his 15-year sobriety led him to create Sober City, a free app helping others find daily reflection and spiritual grounding.

We talk about accountability, ego, family, relapse prevention, and what true happiness in recovery really looks like.

If you’re struggling or know someone who is, this story is proof that it’s never too late to change.

📱 Download Chris’s app: Sober City (available on iOS & Android)
💬 Join the Rise Above Recovery Meeting: Mondays 8:30 PM EST — email Kevin@RiseAbovePod.com for the link.
🎙️ Subscribe for more real stories of recovery and redemption.

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"I Was Stripping, Dealing, and Shooting Heroin" | Raw Addiction & Recovery Story Oct 26, 2025

Show notes

Arayelle’s story is one of the most raw and inspiring transformations ever shared on Rise Above.

A Boston native, she opens up about growing up in chaos, battling addiction, stripping to survive, and finding herself trapped in toxic relationships. After years of substance abuse, self-harm, and pain, she found healing through faith, therapy, and fitness — and is now nearly five years sober.

In this episode, Arayelle and host Kevin Lanning have a deeply honest conversation about recovery, mental health, and learning to fill your own cup again.She now helps women in sobriety through fitness, mentorship, and her “Fellowship & Fitness” program — proving that no matter how far you fall, you can rise again.

Connect with Kevin:

📩 Email: kevin@riseabovepod.com

🌐 RiseAbovePod.com

💬 Join our weekly Rise Above Recovery Meeting every Monday night — all are welcome.

#RiseAbovePodcast #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryStory #MentalHealthAwareness #WomenInRecovery #HealingTrauma #AddictionToRecovery #FitnessForRecovery #SoberLife #FaithAndHealing #RiseAbove #WorkoutWarrior #FromStruggleToStrength #BostonRecovery

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Addiction Lawyer Helps Families Lost in Addiction | Finding Hope & Taking Action Oct 25, 2025

Show notes

In this powerful episode of Rise Above, attorney Mark Astor joins host Kevin Lanning to discuss how families can legally intervene to save loved ones battling addiction and mental health struggles.

Mark founded The Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm of Florida, a groundbreaking practice that combines legal authority, clinical support, and investigative resources to help families take action when everything else has failed.

Together, Kevin and Mark dive into:

How families can legally get loved ones into treatment
The Marchman Act, Guardianship, and Baker Act explained
The emotional and legal battle parents face when trying to save an addict
Kevin’s own story of being “dragged to rehab” and finding lasting sobriety
Why recovery is a lifelong process — and what real hope looks like

Mark’s mission is simple: to save families whose loved ones are suffering from addiction and failed attempts at recovery.

👉 Learn more about Mark Astor’s work:
https://www.mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com

If you or someone you love is struggling, there is help and hope.
💌 Join our Monday night Rise Above Recovery Meeting: Email kevin@riseabovepod.com for the link.

#RiseAbovePodcast #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #FamilyAddictionHelp #SobrietyJourney #MarkAstor #KevinLanning #AddictionSupport #MarchmanAct #Guardianship #BakerAct #LegalIntervention #RecoveryCommunity #HopeAndHealing #RiseAbove

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A Fentanyl Addict's Raw Story of Addiction & How He Found Sobriety Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Jeff Baird’s story is one of survival, truth, and transformation.
Put on Adderall at age 5, Jeff spent his entire youth medicated — never learning who he truly was. By 19, he was deep in the South Florida party scene: weed, coke, Xanax, lean, and eventually fentanyl. He was robbed at gunpoint, arrested multiple times, and even flatlined from an overdose.

But in October 2021, Jeff finally made the call that saved his life. Now, nearly 4 years sober, he’s helping others in recovery and proving that no matter how far you fall, you can rise above it all.

👉 Watch this full interview to hear how Jeff went from being a “wannabe gangster” trapped in addiction — to a man of purpose, faith, and service.
🎧 Subscribe for more real stories of transformation.
📩 Join our community meetings at: Kevin@RiseAbovePod.com

#addictionrecovery #riseabovepodcast #soberstories #recoveryjourney #overcomingaddiction #mentalhealth #sobriety #fentanylcrisis #addictionawareness #faith #redemption #southflorida #oxycodone #adhd #adderall

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Addicted to Roxy: Wall Street Drug Dealer Busted at Ground Zero | $12K/Month Oxy Habit & Sobriety Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Brian grew up in a strict Brooklyn home, surrounded by addiction, secrets, and death — living next door to a funeral home and watching grief daily. What started as a college experiment with ecstasy in Florence spiraled into a decade of cocaine dealing across New York City, gambling thousands he didn’t have, and a public arrest at the World Trade Center construction site.

After narrowly avoiding prison, he rebuilt his life — until opioids nearly killed him.
In this raw interview, Brian opens up about the double life he lived, his $12,000-a-month Oxy habit, and the psychedelic Ibogaine treatment in Mexico that saved him.

Watch as he shares how trauma, ego, and grief fueled his addiction — and what recovery really looks like when the spotlight fades.

0:00 Growing up next to death
13:00 Studying abroad & discovering ecstasy
15:00 Selling coke for 10 years
34:00 Arrested at the World Trade Center
48:00 Falling into opioids
1:00:00 Ibogaine in Mexico
1:15:00 Finding peace, love, and redemption

📩 Join the Rise Above Community: kevin@riseabovepod.com
🎧 Listen Everywhere: Rise Above Podcast

#AddictionRecovery #Ibogaine #RiseAbovePodcast #Sobriety #DrugAddiction #WallStreet #CocaineAddiction #OpioidCrisis #RecoveryJourney #MentalHealthAwareness #BrooklynStories #KevinLanning #IbogaineTreatment #RedemptionStory #OvercomingAddiction

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Hooked on the Needle | The Dark Reality of IV Heroin Addiction Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

Jay Mac up in chaos — born to two addicted parents, moving from town to town, finding identity through graffiti, and battling fear and dysfunction from an early age. By high school, he was using cocaine and opiates, and soon after, heroin became his escape.After years lost to addiction, theft, and survival on the streets, Jay rebuilt his life from the ground up. He found sobriety, purpose, and a voice through art, barbering, and recovery work. Now with nine years clean, Jay shares how he went from a broken kid on Section 8 housing to a man leading others through recovery and using creativity as medicine.This conversation goes deep — relapse, redemption, fear, faith, and the discipline it takes to stay free.

👉 Follow Jay Mac: Instagram @the_backstah

If this story moves you, please like, subscribe, and comment — it helps us keep sharing real stories that save lives.

#RiseAbovePodcast #JayMac #AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #SobrietyJourney #GraffitiArtist #RecoveryStory #OvercomingAddiction #SoberLife #MentalHealthAwareness #RecoveryCommunity #CleanAndSober #DrugAddiction #StreetSmart #RiseAbove #SoberMotivation #AddictToAdvocate #BostonStrong #RedemptionStory

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I Lost Everything to Alcohol | Homeless, Addicted & My Journey to Recovery Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

In this raw and honest interview, Riley Whelan opens up about her battle with addiction, multiple relapses, and how she’s found a new life in sobriety.Riley shares about her upbringing, her early exposure to prescription drugs, the spiraling path through college and substance abuse, hitting rock bottom, and the pivotal moments that pushed her toward recovery. She also discusses how she handles ego, vulnerability, and purpose now — especially as a voice helping others.

💬 What you’ll hear:

• Riley’s first memory of addiction and the role of ADHD in her life• How her substance use progressed from prescription misuse to harder drugs

• Her experience with arrests, hiding it from her family, and running away

• The turning point: entering rehab, embracing the recovery community, and doing real work

• What she’s doing differently this time (amends, service, humility)

• How she stays grounded while speaking publicly and helping othersIf you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone. There is hope, and listeners like you have the power to heal and rebuild.

Follow Riley on TikTok: @riwhey_orthehighway

#AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryStory #RileyWhelan #RiseAbovePodcast #Sobriety #Healing #MentalHealthAwareness #AddictionAwareness #AlcoholismRecovery #DrugAddiction #RelapseAndRecovery #RecoveryCommunity #OvercomingAddiction #RecoveryIsPossible #CleanAndSober #SoberLife #SoberLiving #YouAreNotAlone #Inspiration

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A Mother’s Fight to Save Her Addicted Daughter | Healing, Letting Go, and How She Finally Got Sober Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Brandi Mac is a nurse practitioner, a mother, and a survivor of trauma. Her daughter battled addiction for years—cycling in and out of treatment, relapsing nine times, and nearly losing her life. But what finally saved her wasn’t another rehab. In this powerful interview, Brandi shares the truth about parenting through addiction, breaking toxic family cycles, and finding healing through love, boundaries, and vulnerability. From surviving domestic violence to writing her book Do What You Can Live With, Brandi reveals how she turned her pain into purpose—and how her daughter is now over a year sober.

#AddictionRecovery #RiseAbovePodcast #MotherAndDaughter #TraumaHealing #FamilyAddiction #SobrietyJourney #BrandiMac #RecoveryStories #AddictionAwareness #ParentingThroughAddiction #HealingTrauma #RiseAboveWithKevinLanning #AddictionSupport #MentalHealthAwareness #RecoveryCommunity

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