“I got caught up for years and it became unmanageable,” Sheckler toldE!
Newsin a new interview.
“My passion for skateboarding was overtaken by my desire to drink.”
Ryan Sheckler.Prince Williams/WireImage
“I was just an easy target.
Honestly, it fueled me to skate harder and do more ridiculous things.”
Sheckler said this negativity was a major contributor to his alcohol consumption, which became an unhealthy coping mechanism.
Ryan Sheckler in 2004.Amanda Edwards/Getty
But he also added, “I blame my drinking on myself.
The show’s not responsible for that.
It was me.”
In 2016, Sheckler entered rehab to treat his alcohol addiction.
Five months later, he reverted back to giving up alcohol entirely.
“Being sober is the best decision that I made for my life,” Sheckler said.
“There’s no checking out.
I have to deal with these emotions that come up, and that’s where the power is.”
“It’s hard to watch.
Some episodes [are] just, like, a bratty little kid.
That’s where my life was at that point, and I didn’t know any different.”
During the “gnarly” recovery process, Sheckler recharged and became a born-again Christian.
“I’m actually happy about the injury,” he said.
“I learned a lot.
That was a chance for me to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically.”
