Former Milwaukee Reporter: I'm Grateful to be an Alcoholic
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Yesterday, FTVLive told you that former WTMJ reporter Rob Koebel had resurfaced in a documentary called "Leap'.
Koebel, you may remember is the reporter that was arrested after peeing on a Milwaukee area Apple store.
The movie follows Koebel as he starts to rebuild his life and through coaching.
Yesterday, in our story we said that Koebel was fired, he says that was not the case and he "resigned". But, what is more interesting is that Koebel is turning his life around after being pushed out of TV news. "I'm grateful to be an alcoholic ," he writes in a email to FTVLive.
Koebel admits to his drinking problem, a problem that lead to his arrest and ended up with him eventually getting the help he needed.
So, why is he, "grateful to be an alcoholic"? Because, according to him, it has helped him start to rebuild, "a wonderful happy life and (I) wouldn't have the things I've got if it weren't for being a alcoholic I'm grateful that my ex-wife wrote her book, it may have saved my life. I'm extremely gratefully for the opportunity to be in "Leap" and work with some of the most amazing coaches who challenged me along the way to face the past, re- write my story and find that passion, purpose and love I once had for the news business in doing something else. For me that is working with people in addiction/recovery. Giving back to those who helped save me."
He also says that he has done another film about another star's fall from grace. He tells FTVLive, "not only have I done this film but also "Chasing Evel: The Life of Robbie Knievel. It is about his personal pursuit of sobriety and the need of continuing his father's legacy by jumping once again. We used to party back in the days when I covered his jumps for FOX. Now I get to talk about the journey of getting sober, the things we both had to do and will have to do to stay this way. Something I am so passionate about."
Koebel now helps those that are like him and some that have had it much worse. "I work in treatment. Directly helping those struggle everyday. It is a tough but rewarding and sometimes heartbreaking too," he tells FTVLive.
Rob Koebel is showing that there is life after news and life after the bottle as well.
