Recovering addict putting his best foot forward: 'There's always hope, it's never too late'

Sara-Jayne Makwala King (in for CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson) speaks to recovering addict Denver Van Der Bergh.

Listen below:

Van Der Bergh recently celebrated five years clean and sober, after battling a 25-year addiction that nearly claimed his life.

He started drinking alcohol as "innocent fun"... and then he moved onto drugs, causing his life to eventually spiral out of control.

"I initially always thought that I could control it, and that I could stop at any time..."

- Denver Van Der Bergh, recovering addict

When he realised he couldn't stop, depression took over and the stigma associated with addiction prevented him for seeking the help he needed.

After hitting 'rock bottom', an ultimatum at his workplace finally gave him the push he needed to go to rehab and get his life back on track.

Van Der Bergh is now preparing for an incredible challenge... a run from Cape Town all the way to Pietermaritzburg! So where did running come into his story?

"Part of the activities in rehab... we would take daily walks around the neighbourhood, and I would race the younger guys back... and I used to like running at school, and that ignited that old flame."

- Denver Van Der Bergh, recovering addict

Van Der Bergh has already run the Comrades Marathon, but this journey he's going to embark on has much more personal meaning than just running an extraordinary distance.

"There's always hope, it's never too late... and I don't want to hide my light. That's the first thing I decided when I came out of rehab - that I'm going to shine my light... I want to put it out there so that hopefully I can inspire someone else that's got the same adversity, to also overcome their problems."

- Denver Van Der Bergh, recovering addict

You can support Denver's upcoming run here.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.