Hero Spotlight: Alfredo Santiago

At 43 years old, Alfredo Santiago has achieved much. He is an Air Force veteran, a senior lead at a seasoning manufacturing warehouse, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and four years sober.

And in eight months, he will be a Mercy Home Hero, running 26.2 miles in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. 

But for Alfredo, this race isn’t just  an athletic accomplishment.

It’s a story of a life reclaimed.

What began as casual drinking in high school slowly escalated. After returning from military service, he found himself without direction. Alcohol became a reward, a social coping mechanism, and a mask for his problems. 

“It was pretty much just a battle with myself every day,” Santiago said. “It was part of my lifestyle. The weekend meant I got to reward myself with drinking. When I gathered with people, I would drink. It was so part of my everyday life that it consumed me.”

For 15 to 20 years, he teetered back and forth between addictions, bouncing back and forth from one substance to another.

“It really consumed who I was,” he said. “I was living aimlessly with no purpose.”

He lost his partner of 10 years and family members distanced themselves. The stepchildren he had helped raise for a decade are no longer part of his life. 

But four years ago, he had a moment of clarity. 

“I finally got tired,” he says. “I felt like if I continued down that path, I was going to end up either dead or in jail.”

He reached out to a helpline and submitted his information.

“The phone call I got back was a saving grace,” Santiago said. “That person was the first person who truly heard me. I could describe my addiction to anybody, but they couldn’t understand it. When I spoke to someone who had been through it, it finally made sense.”

The next day, he left for treatment at Recovery Centers of America in St. Charles, Ill. He completed a 30-day inpatient program, followed by outpatient care and participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.

“Sobriety is when I finally started to live,” he said.

When Santiago first sought treatment four years ago, he set a goal for himself to run a marathon. He knew the challenge would require lifestyle changes. 

“I figured a marathon would be demanding enough where I would have to change my life in order to attempt it,” he said.

He started small, running 5Ks, then 10Ks. His longest accomplishment so far was a 15-mile obstacle course. But now, he’s ready to train for a marathon. 

Initially, he applied through the Chicago Marathon lottery system but wasn’t selected. Instead of giving up, he began searching through charity partners.

“I was going one by one, but I didn’t feel a connection,” he said. “I felt like if I didn’t truly support the message of the charity, I wouldn’t apply myself as much.”

Then one day, after putting a pause in the search, he opened Facebook. The first video reel that appeared was from Mercy Home.

“When I started reading about the program and what they do for children, I knew that was the charity I wanted to support,” he said. 

Mercy Home provides its young people with structure, guidance, and a  new direction, a mission that resonated with Santiago’s recovery.

“They’re providing children with a second chance, and I feel like this is my second chance.”

Becoming sober four years ago has reshaped Santiago’s life. He no longer masks his feelings. He faces them.

“I’m aware of and able to feel all of the emotions, good or bad, and work through them,” he said. “I used to run away from my problems. Now I can hold myself accountable.”

Today, Santiago’s life is full in ways he once couldn’t imagine.

He works full time at a warehouse company, he volunteers at Habitat for Humanity, and he picked up baking as a hobby and launched his own cheesecake venture, challenging himself to create a new flavor every week. He’s currently at 147 flavors.

“One day,” he joked, “I’ll be the cheesecake king of Chicago.”

On race day, under his Mercy Home jersey, Santiago will wear a memorial shirt honoring the names of people he has lost in the last four years. He plans to write the names of friends and others who didn’t survive their battle with addiction.

“Their memory will live on with every step that I take,” he says. “At this point, it feels much bigger than me.”

When asked what he thinks it will feel like to cross the finish line, Santiago became emotional. 

“I think I’m going to be a baby,” he said. “Sometimes when I’m running, I can visualize it. I can hear the crowd. I get overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about it.... To actually cross that finish line, it would be one of the first long-term goals that I’ve set and stuck out and pushed through to complete. It’s something that I have to do.”

Four years ago, Santiago hesitated to share his story because he felt like nobody could understand. Now, he’s trying to help as many people as he can. 

“Change is possible even when it seems like you’re at your lowest and nothing can save you,” he said. “There is a way out. You are not alone. With help, it is a winnable battle.”

In October, when Santiago lines up at the start of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, he won’t just be running toward a finish line.

He’ll be running for a life he fought to create.

One mile at a time.