From back surgery and chronic debilitating pain… to running, lifting, and moving freely again, I have my life back.5 years ago, I herniated two discs doing clean + jerk. I couldn’t walk for weeks due to pain. I became obsessed with recovery and healed fairly quickly, but relapsed with worse pain a few years later after a chiropractic adjustment sent electric pain shooting down my leg and completely debilitated me.For years, I spiraled with pain, anger, fear, depression, drinking, and debt. I dropped out of university and spent two years living in fear, blaming others, and feeling stuck in the past. Out of desperation, I got a microdiscectomy. I expected everything to change. It didn’t.A year post-surgery, still unable to run, lift, or feel normal, I joined the Whealth Limitless Programme. Having been a fan of “shirtless dude” on Instagram, I loved his meticulous approach, recognizing that you do have control despite chronic pain when everything tells you that you don’t.The daily structure of the Limitless workouts helped me chip away at sciatica, back, hip, and full body pain pain, rebuild my strength, relearn how to move and lift, and ultimately get my life back.What changed everything?• Structure- a clear, step-by-step plan forward• Community- pain is isolating, but I wasn’t alone anymore• Honesty- accepting where I was became the first step to changing itMost importantly, I learned from Whealth that you have a choice in chronic pain.Now, I’m lifting again, playing sports with friends, saying YES to life… and on **8/23, I’m running my first marathon to the hospital where I had surgery—**to show people in chronic pain what’s possible.Every day isn’t easy. But living pain-free is no longer the goal. Being stronger than yesterday is.Our Free Low back relief series: https://www.spreadwhealth.com/free-low-back-programOur FREE Hypermobility guide: https://spreadwhealth.com/hypermobility-free-resourcesChapters00:00 From Semi-Pro Athlete to Chronic Pain07:30 Disc Herniations, Sciatica, and Dropping Out15:00 How Pain Hijacked My Identity and Relationships22:30 The Injury That Came From a Chiropractor30:00 MRI Results, Surgery Pressure, and Doubt37:30 Why Taking Responsibility Was the Turning Point45:00 How the Whealth Program Changed My Mindset52:30 It Wasn’t a Magic Fix — But It Was Progress1:00:00 How I Overcame Flare-Ups and Kept Going1:07:30 The Cost of Surgery vs. the Value of Whealth1:15:00 What Holistic Healing Actually Looks Like1:22:30 Why I Finally Started Therapy (and Why It Helped)1:30:00 Back Pain Forums, Reddit, and the Harm of Over-Googling1:37:30 How to Tune Into Your Body and Block Out Noise1:45:00 Advice to Anyone Facing Chronic or Mental Pain1:52:30 What Life Looks Like Now — and Why I’m Grateful