Hello each and everyone of you all! It’s a new year and a new beginning for me, Tressa Thompson. First of all many of you maybe wonder where I’ve been, what I’m doing and why have I just disappeared from track and field completely. A simple answer won’t do! I asked myself those same questions and a simple answer wouldn’t do it for me so why should I expect anything less for my fans, friends, and loved ones.
For those of you who don’t remember much about me, I was a Husker. One of Nebraska’s top track and field athletes, especially to come out of a small town, Boomfield, Nebraska. I was a competitor until the end. One of my favorite track meets was NCAA national Championship in Buffalo, NY in 1998. It was my last college meet. Me and long-time friend and rival, Terri Steer, went head to head for the title. It was a cold day and the crowd was watching in great expectation what was to play out. To me, it was one of the best college competitions of all time as we continued to surpass each other and the meet record, in hopes that one of us was taking the gold home for their school. Well, a Nebraska girl walked away with it and the other Nebraska girl, Terri Steer, congratulated me on a grand victory. That was one of the best memories of my life. Along with many other meets in college, competing for the USA in World Championships and also throwing for Nike a few yours internationally.
Well, as we all may ask, even myself, what happened? Where did I go?…
In 2000 I was ready to proceed on to my first, and at that point definitely not my last, Olympic team. I was confident and a shoe-in I thought, with fellow teammates Connie Price-Smith and Terri Tunks (Steer) there. But the next thing people knew, or was asking, that hot July day in Sacramento: “Where’s Tressa?” To be brutally honest now is from that day until just into this last year 2004, everything is hazy. I don’t recall why and especially not for what reason because there is no reason good enough on this earth to drive me to the madness I found myself engulfed in.
Who of you remember or has found yourself living life on that saying “DRUGS SEX AND ROCK&ROLL”? somehow I weaved myself a web that has lead me straight back down to the Valley of Shadow and Death.
As I continue now into my store I want you to realize I began to toy with things of this world that are fun. And the Bible does say that sin is fun for a season. My season soon came to an end. I ended up becoming a full blown addict living on the streets, scheming and planning how to get my next hit. Surprised?
Those of you that understand addiction may not be surprised but I sure know that those around me were surprised. Actually, even those closest around me never even knew half of the things I got involved with. I was a small town Christian girl. Grew up going to church every Sunday, singing specials, going to bible camps every summer, even worked a s counselor. God was good to me and He extremely blessed me beyond my track talent but also with others.
Those of you who knew me, know I was always full of light, energetic and loving. Always there to help and offer assistance. Always stepping up to the plate when needed. I’m that kind of person who is all or nothing. Well, that’s exactly what I did once in 1998, when my drug abuse began.
My drug abuse was random. First, I began to just try cocaine. I traveled to Omaha which became my City of Sin. As I compare to Sodom and Gomorra from the Bible. I soon started coming to Omaha every weekend but my drug soon switched to Meth. WOW! Now that’s a drug. I stayed up a whole week the first time I partied with that. That right there should have clued any normally sane individual that this stuff was trouble.
The summer of 1999 I went to Europe for some meets for three and a half weeks. That was the starting stages of my addiction. Personally I noticed it wasn’t a long time away from my using but I did become a weekend user right when I got back. The night I flew home from the 24-hour journey from somewhere in Europe. I got back around 8 PM Saturday night and got some Ecstasy and smoked some coke all night long. Why? I don’t know really either. At the time I must of thought it was fun.
But what was I really doing? I was unintentionally sabatoshing my own career, my life, while looking for happiness. Sin sure is tempting and fund and you sure do feel happy at those times of be totally messed up.
My performance suffered at the hand of my new found love. 57 Feet was a common distance in competitions and practices went fast compared to usual because I needed to find some more foil for my next high. It caught up to me soon. Actually very soon, and thank God that USAT&F happened to pull my name for that random name in competition in Portland in June of 2000.
But that Friday evening when the phone rang it was Jill Pilgrim calling to ell me I had a positive drug test for Coke & Meth. My heart sank and I knew what she had to say to me before she even started to explain. It was that following Monday morning I was to fly to Sacramento to become part of the 2000 US Track & Field Team to compete in the Olympics in \Australia. MY DREAM WAS SHATTERED.
I was now confronted with my new found love which had become public. No longer could I keep this a secret. Saturday night was just like always, go to the club and do my thing. On Sunday I called my parents to at least save them the expense of going to Sacramento and then hearing the news.
Monday I flew to Sacramento and crashed in my coaches room waiting for him to return from the track. I told him the epic that had just played itself out in my life.
I saw the hurt that week that was put on so many of my loved ones and tried the best I could at the time to mend and pick up the shattered pieces. But it wasn’t enough.
I came back to Omaha and lost myself in the drug scene to the extreme. I don’t want to glorify drugs in any way shape or form, but I lost touch with reality and what life meant to me. I had lost what I thought was my first love: track & field and the dreams I had and was living. IT WAS ALL GONE... OVERNIGHT.
So I put my all into those chemically induced happy times and was having a blast living it to the fullest. A strong character trait I have is “all or nothing”. So I did accelerate to the top of my “drug” game. But to our society today with the same members, the life I was living is not acceptable and the world I was living in was a façade of happiness.
\today I am early into my recovery but am a grateful recovering addict because God is good and has a plan for e and my life.
January 2004 I began IV use and almost overdosed from a speedball. Plus, beginning in January I had a tremendous amount of prayers going up for me from so many of God’s chosen prayer warriors. Satan had tried to kill, steal and destroy me to the 3rd degree! But he isn’t getting it done. The Lord has big plans for me. And I am admitting my powerlessness and rededicated my life to the Lord. On October 29, 2004, I entered my last treatment facility ever because the Lord has delivered me and I am willing to do whatever He asks.
I will go to any lengths for my clean time and I once went to any lengths for my athletic career which took me to being one of the top shop putters in the world in the late 1990s.
Everyday is a struggle but as one of God’s children I will survive, I will resurface and be back on top in whatever the Lord has planned for me. But for now I am working on ME and getting better and want to be back out there with each and every one of you all again someday.
I know God will make a way!!!
I have many stories and many things to offer. I would like to hear from you and maybe the Lord even has a purpose for us to meet. If I can help anyone in any way then this last 4-6 years of hell will be worth it.
\the Lord does work miracles. Never doubt, especially if it isn’t in YOUR time or how you expect it because God’s time is always perfect.
I struggle daily. It has taken me four years to come back and now confront my issues and to lay it all out on the table. It is time for me to go, all or none again. And what will I do?
I WANT LIFE! I no longer want to be taken from this earth prematurely or put my life in strangers’ hands that don’t really care. But I want to be lead my Master and live eternity with Him.
