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Matt Norton's passion for running came while he was overcoming a detrimental drug addition. The "gradual" addiction stemmed from Norton's college years where he owned the reputation of being “that friend that people would call for a good time,” he said in an interview with Daily Voice.
Drinking and smoking in his early 20s progressed to experimenting with cocaine, molly and ecstasy by his mid-20s. However, there was one drug that truly derailed Norton’s life.
“It was around the time when I turned 25 that somebody had introduced me to crystal meth,” he said. “I sort of just really fell very deep into that lifestyle at that point, and I would say at about 26/27 was when it started to get out of hand.”
Norton, who grew up in Braintree and had family in Dorchester, would eventually become homeless in Boston and routinely bounce from rehab centers and halfway homes. It was not until he re-entered the Hope House that he would – quite literally – get back on his feet.
"I wasn’t much for fitness at the time but I wanted to do something to feel better, boost my confidence. So I started running with Back On My Feet," Norton wrote on his fundraising page.
The non-profit organization fights homelessness through "fitness, community support, and essential employment and housing resources," their website reads. Norton said Back On My Feet not only helped him discover a love for fitness, but a love for himself.
"I started to believe I was strong, I was better than my past, and that I could do anything," he wrote. "Slowly, I got the things I had dreamt of for myself: a career, a healthy lifestyle, a place to call home, my loved ones, and most importantly, a belief that I was strong enough to anything."
It was during this time that Norton first thought about running the Boston Marathon. Lo and behold, the recovering addict would go on to complete his first race almost a year after he left Hope House. This time around, Norton is looking to give back to the people that helped change his life and as well as anyone who is going through tough times.
"I don't hope that my story just touches addicts but touches anybody," he said. "I hope that anybody who reads my story sees that you can literally overcome anything. Give yourself a shot because we are all born to do something."
While Norton is looking to raise $10,000 for Back On My Feet, he hopes to raise “as much as humanly possible.” People interested in donating to Norton's cause can click here.
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