Fiona Taaffe, 57, completed her first Dublin Half Marathon with daughter Karinann, 25, last month.
Next weekend, she and Karinann will lace up their runners again for Coolock Running Club’s Another Way 5K at Darndale Park in North Dublin.
Six years into her recovery, the mum-of-two says the club has played a “massive” role in her rehabilitation.
This is the fourth year of the race, which highlights the availability of help for those involved with drugs and criminality and is part of a local campaign to Get The Message Out on alternatives to addiction.
“For 30 years, I used anything going, including crack cocaine,” said Ms Taaffe, from Dublin’s Kilmore.
“My marriage broke up, my drug use got worse and I lost interest in my children.
“My family tried to help, but I would not listen.
“I hit rock bottom, and if there is another rock bottom below it, I hit that too.
“I was happy to choose drugs over my daughter.
“She was taken by my family at 12.”
Her older son, Christopher, was already in the care of her family at that point.
Fiona Taaffe is congratulated by daughter Karinann after they completed the Dublin City Half Marathon (Megan Burke/Mediaconsult/PA)
Family intervention in 2019 warned Ms Taaffe her future involved her either going to prison or being found dead.
That initiated a five-month stay at Limerick’s Cuan Mhuire Treatment Centre, and a new life.
“In recovery I wanted to keep active. I walked a lot and would see runners and think ‘I would like to try that’ but self-doubt kicked in.
“After hearing Coolock Running Club was being formed I went along to its first ...
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