By the age of 15, dealing with abusive foster family environments and the need to cope with his childhood, James began to drink alcohol and experiment with other drugs. By the age of 18, he began a pattern of self medication and addiction. Although James ran his first marathon in 2000 in just 3 hours and 30 minutes, the demons of the past would find their way back into his life and he fell again into the cycle of addiction. In 2007 James found his way to Denver, looking for a way to combat addiction and cope with his past. At the Denver Rescue Mission, James found his faith and felt God calling him to run again as a substantial part of his recovery.
It was then that he learned of a concept called Activity Inspired Rehabilitation. This concept was alive and well in the form of a running program at the Denver Rescue Mission. When James joined the marathon training program he felt that he had been led to the place in his life where his running and his faith lay ahead and all the negativity lay in the past. In May, 2008, James completed the Colorado Colfax Marathon with 30 other teammates from the Denver Rescue Mission who have found that running is a way to put their past behind and their dreams ahead. For the first time in his life, James says, he is leading other men in a walk of faith and in a run towards something that will keep them on a path to long-term sobriety. "I am helping other addicts like myself train and run marathons." says Johnson, "I am grateful for AIR and Nick Sterner for helping me arrive at where I am today." James is going back to college in the fall and plans on being part of AIR for as long as he can. James is pacing Nick Sterner at the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race on August 16, is planning on running the Leadville 50 Mile Trail Race in 2009, and is training for the Denver Marathon in October of this year. Join James as he runs with purpose and runs for hope. Pledge now to support the Denver Rescue Mission Running Team!