Putting Grief On Hold - Channing Frye

What happens when you put your grief on hold? In the summer of 2016, Channing Frye was riding high. After over a decade in the NBA, his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, had won the Championship. Then, in the fall, he hit one of the lowest lows. His mother Karen died of cancer. Just a month later his father, Thomas, also died. Channing put his grief on hold to deal with the logistics of planning two funerals, supporting his family, and going back to work as a professional athlete. Eventually, with the help of his wife, his friends, and a therapist, Channing started to talk about and explore grief in ways that worked better for him. Doing this allowed him to get more present in his life and explore new passions like podcasting and starting a wine label, Chosen Family Wines.

We discuss:

• Channing’s parents and how they supported him in his basketball career

• What it was like when his parents died

• Being with his mom as she was dying

• Putting his grief on hold to take care of business

• How his grief intensified after his dad’s death

• Going back to the NBA soon after his parents’ deaths

• The role alcohol played in his early grief

• How he got into therapy and started working with his grief

• Reclaiming significant days like birthdays, Father’s Day, and other holidays

• How he stays grounded & connected to his parents

• The connection between grief and the name of his wine label, Chosen Family

Follow Channing on IG,

Listen to his podcast, Road Trippin'