Zac Clark, Founder of Release Recovery, finds his person, Tayshia Adams, on the most recent season of The Bachelorette. This show airs on ABC. We love a happy ending. I mean, who doesn’t?
This is especially true when it means the sober guy of 9 years gets the girl and they live happily ever after.
While I am not a die hard Bachelor/Bachelorette fan, I have watched enough seasons to understand the concept. And I’m not afraid to say, I tune in for the drama. Call it a guilty pleasure or maybe my hopefulness of finding true love, this season had all kinds of twists and turns.
The bonus for me was that the show was filmed during quarantine at the gorgeous La Quinta Resort & Club, just outside of Palm Springs. I love love love this resort and all of it’s old Hollywood glam.
Tayshia Adams – The Bachelorette
We first met Tayshia when she was a contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor, with Colton Underwood. She made it all the way to the fantasy suites only to be rejected on national TV when Colton chose another contestant.
Woof! That’s rough. I can barely handle rejection privately, so I can’t imagine what that must feel like on a public stage. Tayshia also appeared on the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise. (which I do not watch)
Tayshia wasn’t slated to be the Bachelorette for season 16, as that crown was being proudly worn by Clare Crawley. However, Clare proved to be a very decisive woman. Only a few weeks into the show, she already found her person and was ready to put a ring on it.
Enter the curveball: Tayshia Adams. Thinking back to when Tayshia was introduced to the group of eligible bachelors that Clare had quickly disposed of, Zac wasn’t a stand-out at that time. Sure, he was cute and we liked his accent, but we really didn’t know that much about him.
So who is Zac Clark?
The second I found out that Zac was nearly 9 years sober, I text a good friend (and former co-worker) that I was Team Zac all the way. With nearly 15 years of sobriety under my belt, I know the challenges of dating sober and having to explain your “past baggage” to suitors.
It’s not easy and you never really know how the other person is going to take it. I can’t imagine how that conversation must have felt knowing it was being filmed for all of the worlds to see.
That said, I applaud Zac’s bravery in being so open about his history of struggling with addiction and how much work the road to recovery has been. Besides the hot on-screen romance, what else do we know about Zac?
Stalking Zac on social media
I took a deep dive into his social media and here’s what I can tell you. Zac loves his family. His motto is KEEP GOING. He likes dogs and babies. Running marathons and listening to Pearl Jam is his thing.
He likes the outdoors and attending sporting events. Zac likes to golf. He loves snowy mountains and he’s a proud New Yorker. He’s not afraid of wearing cheesy Holiday sweaters and he believes that a commitment to fitness and sobriety is and can be life-changing.
Strangely, I haven’t been able to rack Zac down for an interview (LOL), so if you want more dets about this sober dreamboat, you’ll want to check out this article by People Magazine.
The proposal
Zac Clark Discusses His Sobriety and Clears Up His ‘Champagne’ Toasts on ‘The Bachelorette’
Apple Cider and Ginger Ale for the win! This video gave me the chills when Zac shared that during one of the toasts, champagne was brought out, and Tayshia decided to forgo the champagne and join Zac with a sparkling apple cider. Ok girl, now I’m Team Tayshia too! Little things like this, when others stand in solidarity with those who choose not to drink, never go unnoticed. At least they don’t but those of us who abstain.
That’s a wrap!
I’ll close with this…more and more positive recovery and addiction awareness stories and headlines are making their way into pop culture and I am HERE for it! I look forward to a world that normalizes sobriety. We aren’t there yet, but the movement continues to rise and there is power in numbers.
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
