SUBMITTED REPORT
At age 7, Chris Gates saw the Rolling Stones perform on The Ed Sullivan Show and knew he would be a musician. By 12, he had saved enough money from mowing lawns to buy a guitar and every record he could find.
In the early ‘80s he started playing in bands in Austin, then later Los Angeles. Each band was more successful than the last – Chris toured across the country, made multiple albums and shot videos on MTV. He also developed a drug addiction. As the punk rock scene faded to make way for grunge, Gates decided it was time for a change of scenery.
“I moved back to Texas to get a handle on my addiction, and I’ve been sober since 1998,” Gates said. “My life has just gotten bigger and cooler since then.”
Now 52, Chris still plays music but has another gig that “pays the bills” as a media architect for a health management organization that provides services to the treatment industry to help addicts recover from addiction. Married for eight years to his wife, Jo, he is also the proud stepfather to 16 year-old stepdaughters, Jenna and Mollie. At 314 pounds, Chris feels that food and health are his “final frontier.”
That’s why he submitted an application to be a contestant in the H-E-B Slimdown Showdown. He now has the chance to win a $10,000 grand prize or a $5,000 health hero prize. But the real prize will be a healthier lifestyle.
“I’ve taken responsibility for most areas of my life, and everything is getting better all the time,” Gates said. “I love what I do for a living. I’ve figured out how to be a responsible citizen, husband and father, but I haven’t been able to lose weight and feel healthy.”
Follow Chris Gates at http://sdsd.heb.com/2014/01/meet-chris/.
