Zac Clark just reached a major milestone.
Celebrating 11 years of sobriety on Aug 30, The Bachelorette alum reflected on his journey in an Instagram and TikTok video, acknowledging the people who helped him get to this point and sending a message to anyone battling addiction.
"All right, y'all. Eleven years sober today," Zac told his followers. "I'm super grateful. I feel very loved. The beautiful notes and messages, thank you so much for all that."
"As I sit here and I reflect on the past 11 years of my life, I can't help but recognize that actually this has nothing to do with me, right?" he continued. "This has to do with the people that paved the path for me. Those that came before me and, more importantly, the person that is out there still struggling today—struggling with their addiction, struggling with their mental health, feeling like they cannot go on."
The reality star said he's often asked how he stays sober or has fun. "I laugh because I've been given this next level existence that I am so proud of," he said. "Hard was being out there on the street, being willing to die to get high one more time, for one more hit. This life is easy and it's beautiful and it's available to you if you want it."
Zac, who cofounded the addiction treatment center Release Recovery in 2017, then encouraged anyone struggling with their sobriety to ask for help.
"We are here for you. We love you. Keep going. Dig in," he said. "I promise you it gets better. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's go!"
Zac didn't celebrate this major milestone alone. Several members of Bachelor Nation took to the comments to cheer him on, including Bryan Abasolo, who is married to Rachel Lindsay, who wrote, "Congrats bro! Proud of you!" Added Ivan Hall, who appeared on Tayshia Adams' season of The Bachelorette with Zac, "Keep going."
Fans met Zac on Tayshia's season of The Bachelorette in 2020. The two ended the season by getting engaged but broke up in November 2021.
Zac has been open about his struggles with addition and recovery journey, sharing his story on The Bachelorette and on social media. He reflected on his first few years trying to get sober in a 2021 interview on Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, sharing that after his first time in treatment in November 2010 he "drank pretty quickly" and used "pretty much anything and everything I could get my hands on." However, he re-entered treatment in August 2011, calling it the "best day" of his life, and has been sober ever since.
Zac is now preparing to run the New York City Marathon, his 10th marathon, this November with his Release Recovery Foundation team and leads community runs in New York on Mondays. And overall, he hopes his sobriety inspires others.
"For a guy that couldn't stop shooting heroin, smoking crack and guzzling booze this is truly a miracle," Zac tweeted on his 10-year sober anniversary. "No matter what you are struggling with today just know that change is possible and you are worth it. You don't have to be perfect. KEEP GOING."