PT - Climbing Back

[box][b][size=150]Memoires d'Athletes[/size][/b]

[b][size=120]Climbing Back[/size][/b]

[b]GHISLAIN MARTIN[/b]
[color=#FF00FF]RIGHT WING / ABITBI ACE / ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC NATIONAL HANDBALL TEAM[/color]
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When you're one of the best handball players in the world, with you playing as the true ace and the national team among the best, it will usually seem like, for those seeing from outside, that I am on top of this hill that I have built on.

The truth is that I never was. Not until I had found my solace, at the end of a long road I had taken too long to find my way back.

Okay, it wasn't a long road really. It was a long series of roads that I had to face, from a young age, that I had to overcome. And perhaps between those roads where I knew I had to get out, but could not. And now that I look at it, life looks slightly different.





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This is my 19th year playing handball.



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It's been a long time since I was a shy 20-year old who was working during offseason.

One night, on my farewell party at work before I were to grab the train back to Sept-Iles the very next morning, I



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That Monday, when I went to Harvey Pelletier's office and told him I needed help, I was definitely worried. I knew he was expecting a lot from me, especially as we exited the all-star break in top 5 position, and I was telling my boss I couldn't be part of it.

"I've noticed the decline and the need for change. We're with you. 100 percent."

When Harvey told me that, it felt like this weight had been lifted off me. I didn't need to lie anymore, and perhaps it was this that changed my life.

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I spent 763 days on this earth with my daughter Mia.

And the main way I occupied my time was by thinking. Here I was, back home with my wife and kids, and only thinking about those I love.

I thought of my family, how I'd gotten to this point and then remembered my grandmother. She passed away when I was 17 years old, and I'd never taken time to understand the pain her death caused me.



Growing up, my grandmother was all of my world. When I was 4, my father passed away, and mum left home shortly after the death, so I was living with my grandmother and all my uncles who lived just down the street.



I spent 29 days in rehab.

And the main way I occupied my time was by thinking. Truly thinking with clarity for the first time in a long time.

I thought about my family, I thought about how I’d gotten to this point and I thought about my dad.

He passed away when I was 23 years old, but I’d never taken time to really reflect on the pain his death caused me. I kind of pushed it down, like I was going to deal with it later.

My dad and I were always very close. I think I got many of my best qualities from him. But he struggled with drug addiction. I didn’t even put it all together until I was older, because he would never be around me while he was using. And it struck me that he dealt with his problem the way I did for so long: By trying to isolate himself so he could hide it.

My dad and I were always very close. I think I got many of my best qualities from him. But he struggled with drug addiction.

The day I was named to my first All-Star team, I found out that my dad had cancer and had six weeks to live. That had a big effect on my outlook on life that I never really came to terms with. It made me believe that everything good that ever happened to me would be balanced out by something bad. So even when I was experiencing good times, it was difficult to fully appreciate them.

But when I was drunk, I didn’t think about the other shoe dropping. I didn’t worry about feeling pain or regret. I drank because it made me feel nothing at all. And that was a lot easier than really dealing with my issues.