My name is Chad Valyear. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, an author, speaker, messenger and a man in long-term recovery from addiction. I have been clean since May 31, 2021 and I have come to understand something that has fundamentally changed my life and shaped my mission: recovery and faith in Jesus Christ are not opposing paths. When brought together, they can offer a powerful foundation for lasting transformation. A Twelve-Step program saved my life, giving me the structure, accountability, self-awareness, and practical tools I needed to begin rebuilding it. In time, I came to know Jesus Christ personally, and I began to recognize the spiritual truths within the Twelve Steps that had been guiding me long before I fully understood them.
I came to understand that what I had experienced through recovery and what I was discovering through Scripture were not separate journeys, but deeply connected ones.
This realization inspired a mission: to help bridge the gap between the practical principles of addiction recovery and the transformative truth of the Gospel.
Many people find meaningful support through recovery programs, but struggle to integrate their faith into that process. Others turn to the Church seeking freedom from addiction, only to discover that spiritual encouragement, while invaluable, may need to be accompanied by practical recovery tools, personal accountability, and a structured plan for everyday living. These are vital pieces that the spiritual leaders often can't offer as, many times they do not have the lived experience that qualifies them as a credible authority on the matter.
I believe the Church has an opportunity to strengthen its response to addiction by bringing these elements together. My vision is to help congregations explore how established recovery principles and biblical teachings can work alongside one another, equipping churches to better support individuals and families affected by addiction.
This is not about diminishing the value of existing recovery programs or minimizing Church's efforts. It is about building connections, sharing lived experience, and exploring how faith and practical recovery strategies can complement one another in the pursuit of lasting change.
The Journey: Taking the Message Across Canada
To bring this message to communities across the country, I am developing
"The Straight Up Tour"—a cross-Canada bicycle journey from Ontario to British Columbia, continuing into Spokane, Washington, where the tour will conclude.
Travelling by bicycle, I intend to visit churches, connect with congregations and ministry leaders, attend recovery group meetings, and engage with communities along the route. I want to share my testimony, speak openly about addiction and recovery, and encourage conversations about how the Church can become better equipped to serve people facing these challenges.
The bicycle journey itself is an extension of the message. Recovery is a process. Faith is a journey. Neither happens overnight, and both require perseverance, humility, commitment, and the willingness to keep moving forward when the road becomes difficult.
At each stop, I hope to create opportunities for meaningful conversations, speaking engagements, relationship-building, and collaboration with churches and recovery communities.
I also plan to visit bookstores along the way to promote and sign copies of my published book, Chad Valyear – Up From The Dark, which shares my personal journey and the experiences that have shaped my faith, recovery, and commitment to helping others.
Through these encounters, I hope to build relationships that extend beyond the tour itself, laying the groundwork for future partnerships and initiatives that bring faith-based support and practical recovery resources into communities that need them.
A Special Mission Stop: Spokane, Washington
The final destination of the bicycle journey will be Spokane, Washington, where I plan to meet with a Christian tattoo artist whose ministry involves providing free tattoo cover-ups for individuals seeking to replace imagery associated with demonic or pagan symbolism with artwork that reflects their Christian faith.
As part of his commitment to serving God, the artist offers two complimentary cover-ups each month as an act of ministry.
I intend to have one of my own tattoos covered during this visit, making the experience a personal part of the journey and an opportunity to highlight his work and the ministry behind it.
This stop represents another important dimension of The Straight Up Tour: the opportunity to share stories of redemption, support ministries that help people express their renewed faith, and demonstrate how personal transformation can be reflected in the choices we make and the lives we lead.
By documenting and sharing this experience, I hope to raise awareness of the artist's ministry while bringing greater visibility to the broader message of faith, recovery, and redemption.
Why Straight Up?
The phrase " Straight Up" has become closely associated with my motivational content on TikTok, where I speak candidly about life, faith, recovery, personal responsibility, and the realities of overcoming adversity.
For me, "Straight Up" represents honesty without pretence, accountability without condemnation, and hope without empty promises.
It means being willing to confront difficult truths, acknowledge the past without being defined by it, and take responsibility for the work required to move forward. And, it's a reminder that it took being knocked on my back to be looking in the right direction-Straight Up!!
My own life has taught me that transformation requires more than good intentions. It requires action, discipline, support, and a willingness to face the things we might otherwise avoid. My faith has taught me that we do not have to walk that road alone.
The "Straight Up" Tour will bring that message directly to the people and communities who need to hear it.
Through speaking engagements, church visits, recovery community connections, book signings, and social media documentation, I intend to use this journey to encourage honest conversations about addiction, strengthen connections between the Church and recovery communities, and inspire individuals who may feel that their past has disqualified them from a better future.
The Vision Beyond the Tour
While The "Straight Up" Tour is a significant undertaking in itself, the journey represents the beginning of a much larger vision.
My long-term goal is to return home and continue developing this work through my ministry, with the ultimate objective of establishing a faith-informed treatment and wellness centre that integrates spiritual support with practical, recovery-oriented services.
I envision a place where individuals struggling with addiction can receive compassionate support, develop practical life skills, strengthen their recovery, and explore their faith without feeling that they must choose between spiritual growth and the tools needed to sustain their progress.
I hope this first initiative will help establish the relationships, community partnerships, and awareness necessary to make that vision a reality.
Ultimately, my dream is to see this model grow beyond one community, with the potential to establish additional centres that serve people and families across Canada.
I know firsthand what it means to struggle, to lose direction, and to fight to rebuild a life. I also know what it means to discover hope, experience the support of others, and begin to see a future that once seemed impossible.
I am not undertaking this journey because I have all the answers. I am undertaking it because I believe the lessons I have learned, the faith I have found, and the recovery principles that helped save my life can be used to serve others.
The "Straight Up" Tour is an invitation to churches, recovery communities, ministry leaders, potential sponsors, and supporters to become part of that mission.
Whether through hosting a speaking engagement, providing practical support along the route, helping share the message, or partnering in the development of future initiatives, there is an opportunity to contribute to something that extends far beyond a bike ride.
This is about more than reaching Spokane, Washington. It is about reaching people.
It is about opening doors, building bridges, and creating opportunities for the Church and the recovery community to work together in ways that can make a lasting difference.
Most importantly, it is about showing people that their past does not have to determine their future, that recovery is possible, and that there is hope beyond the darkest chapters of their lives.
I believe Jesus Christ transforms lives. I believe recovery requires commitment and practical action. And I believe we can do more when we bring these truths together in service to others.
This is my story. This is my mission. This is The "Straight Up" Tour.
Faith. Recovery. Redemption. One community at a time.
— Chad Valyear
Founder, The Straight Up Tour
