BANGOR, Maine — Across the country, more than 130 people die each day from an opioid overdose, according to drugabuse.gov.
John Paradis and Lisa Ross were able to beat their addiction. And they want to use this second chance to help others do the same.
They do this through exercise because that's what helped Paradis when he was working to get clean.
It started with walking.
"Some days it would be like ten miles and I'd be like where have you been why are you so tired and he'd be like I walked all day," Ross said.
That then turned to organized exercise.
"So I did wake up one morning and I did look at my daughter and I said I need to do something I need to make a change," Paradis said.
Paradis and Ross are looking to help others, through exercise because of all its benefits.
"It helps boost your self-confidence. It also helps with like your metabolism to heighten it. Like if you just got clean it can help run everything out of your body so it helps, so your withdrawals go away sooner," Cynthia Daigle said. Daigle participated in the first class with Second Chance Lifestyle Change.
Paradis and Ross are starting small, but have high hopes.
"I want to help people I want them to realize there is hope. There's light at the end of the tunnel. It's not too late," Paradis said. "But I hope to take this obviously all across the world because it's not just an epidemic here in Maine. It is all across the world."
"We really want to make a difference even if it's just one person. So one person can help another person. Kind of like the pay it forward method. That's all we're really looking to do," Ross said.
Paradis and Ross bring their daughter to workout with them. She knows that her dad has gone through a lot and is happy to be workout out with him.
The classes are held on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. at the community center in Bangor.
For more information, visit the Second Chance Lifestyle Change Facebook page.