WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts will speak on his journey in overcoming severe drug addiction and mental illness this week in Lincoln.
The program will be hosted at St. Paul United Methodist Church, in downtown Lincoln near 11th and “M” Street, on Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 p.m.
The presentation is brought to the community by the Bryan Independence Center, a specialized youth and adult treatment facility for alcohol and drug addictions at Bryan West Campus. Roberts program is titled, “Wrestling Demons, Achieving Recovery.” He will share his inspiring story of drug use, recovery and resilience. The wrestling icon will also share how he transformed personal struggles into a powerful message of hope and renewal.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts entertained wrestling fans for over four decades. He rose to fame as a member of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the 1980’s and 90’s. The Texas native was known for his dark charisma and brought a live snake with him to the ring to intimidate his opponents. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.
However, there was a dark side to Roberts success. He was the victim of sexual abuse as a child and became addicted to alcohol at a young age. As he grew older and gained stardom in sports entertainment, the wrestling icon became addicted to drugs. Roberts abused cocaine, pain killers and steroids throughout his career. That led to multiple suicide attempts. Thankfully, none were successful.
In 2015, Roberts hit rock bottom and moved in with a former wrestling colleague to begin his journey to sobriety. Although he relapsed a number of times, Roberts found success. He learned how to live a healthy lifestyle and utilized yoga to improve his physical and mental fitness. He describes these years as “life-saving” and the foundation for his sobriety today.
The event is free. Pre-registration is required and available at bryanhealth.com.
Bryan Health