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BONUS: Cristina Preston Re-Release

BONUS: Cristina Preston Re-Release

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 Who this episode is for: Anyone outworking pain in the gymFolks from good homes who wrecked their livesPeople with pasts they swore they’d never shareAnyone who’s felt like a fraud—addict or notChurch kids hiding chaos behind smiles Chris is on a Staten Island ferry, pizza grease on his fingers, yelling at Lady Liberty and eating humble pie ‘cause the remote-record plan tanked. But that tech fail is your gain—because we’re re-dropping a raw convo with Cristina Preston: fitness model, news junkie, steroid-using bodybuilder, trafficking survivor, and miracle in motion. She leads Celebrate Recovery in Fenton, MO, but she’s lived the wreckage—bullying, self-harm, covering a school shooting, being trafficked during addiction, shady doctors, and a Vegas wedding that made her dad cry the wrong way. This one’s heavy and holy. Laugh. Cry. Throw a chair. Hug your mom. ⏱️ Full Timestamp Breakdown 00:00 – Ferry intro: busted tech & grandma’s 100th01:50 – Why this is a re-release03:20 – Goldberg tease: Ducks, meth, mayhem04:05 – Cristina joins: war-tested & real05:30 – How Chris found Cristina’s testimony06:45 – Celebrate Recovery ain’t just AA08:15 – Codependency, food, image issues09:20 – Why “grateful believer” hits different10:30 – Honesty over polish11:15 – CR outnumbers Starbucks?!12:20 – Church-run, same vibe everywhere13:45 – Big lessons, big tears14:50 – Pondoff talks real recovery spaces16:05 – Why safe doesn’t mean soft17:45 – Losing a dog in sobriety20:00 – Sitting in pain instead of escaping22:00 – Cristina’s “perfect” upbringing23:30 – Bullying & broken stalls25:30 – Before we knew “anxiety”27:15 – The high-achieving mask28:10 – Speech team nerd to newsroom30:00 – Covering the NIU school shooting32:45 – Trauma, Valentine’s, heartbreak34:20 – Cancelled wedding, lost faith36:50 – Panic attacks & silence38:45 – Gym life as addiction in disguise40:30 – Attention, abs, and adrenaline42:00 – Bikini comps & pressure43:45 – First steroid cycle45:00 – “Helpful” doctor + real side effects46:30 – Vegas wedding, mall ring, regrets48:15 – Cocaine enters stage right50:10 – Using on the move51:30 – Broke, exposed, unraveling53:00 – Dependent and out of options54:10 – Doctor with blank-label pills55:30 – Lies, performance, denial57:10 – Who even am I?58:45 – Comfort in chaos01:00:00 – From worshipped to wasted01:01:30 – Realizing it’s all a façade01:03:00 – Surrender & grace01:05:00 – Truth through accountability01:06:20 – Living life again01:07:45 – Family healing01:09:00 – Second marriage, no lies01:10:15 – Parenthood post-recovery01:12:00 – Telling your kids the truth01:13:20 – Sharing to save others01:14:40 – Message to the struggling01:16:00 – How to plug into CR01:17:30 – Church ≠ performance01:19:00 – What healing really means01:20:20 – Sobriety doesn’t erase shame01:23:00 – Self-forgiveness is brutal01:25:00 – Cristina opens up: trafficked in addiction01:27:30 – Manipulated, silenced by shame01:29:00 – Her son asks the hard questions01:32:10 – Even now, cravings sneak in01:34:45 – Triggers: mirrors, songs, stores01:38:20 – Faith in the ugly middle01:40:50 – Leading while healing01:44:10 – Routine, friends, raw prayer01:47:00 – “You’re not too far gone”01:50:30 – Chris on public shame & honesty01:53:00 – Jakob & Jeff on spiritual BS01:55:45 – Cristina hated “Christianese” too01:58:20 – Healing doesn’t follow rules02:00:10 – Why CR keeps her grounded02:03:30 – Sobriety is sacred and simple02:06:00 – Stories evolve—they don’t end02:10:00 – Gratitude for lifelines02:12:45 – “Stay here”—for anyone slipping02:15:30 – Chris signs off from the ferry02:17:40 – END 🙏 Sponsor Shoutout: Illinois Recovery Center – Putting broken pieces back together. 👉 https://illinoisrecoverycenter.com/Bertarelli Cutlery – Blades that slice through your bullshit. 👉 https://bertarellico.com/

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