Above: John Hooper (center) talks with Senator Ben Allen (24th District) during an event at allcove Beach Cities.
By Jason Argent, BCHD Volunteer
At 27, John Hooper is more than a mentor. He’s living proof that change is possible. His journey from elite athlete to struggling with addiction, and ultimately finding recovery, led him to allcove Beach Cities. Now, he’s paying it forward, helping young people who, like him, need a safe space to heal, grow, or just simply catch their breath amid life’s chaos.
Finding Purpose at allcove Beach Cities
John was a multi-sport athlete in his high school. He was a star quarterback, but baseball was his true love and where his talents really shined. As a standout lefty pitcher, Division I college scouts were knocking on his door early and often. But then, a fluke snowboarding accident shattered that same left collarbone that threw the heat those college recruiters wanted so badly. Everything changed.
John enrolled at Texas Christian University, leaving baseball behind and diving headfirst into fraternity life. The social scene took center stage, and drinking and partying became a big part of his college life. Over the next few years, the heavy drinking intensified and his “good times slowly turned into bad,” according to Hooper. There were some dangerous situations, some that ended up in an emergency room. His best friend from high school was killed in a car accident, a devastating loss that compounded his struggles. By the time COVID hit in 2020, John had lost his job in Texas and was spiraling, to a point where he wasn’t able to stop drinking or abusing drugs.
He knew something had to change.
John moved to Los Angeles in August 2020 to enter a sober living program. The transition was brutal: Strict rules, no phone, complete isolation from his old life. At first, he resisted. He left after three months, thinking he could manage on his own. Within two weeks, he relapsed. His parents, recognizing the pattern, gave him an ultimatum: Get help or get out.
This time, something clicked. “Desperate to get my life together,” John re-entered sober living on January 6, 2021, with a different mindset: Not for anyone else, but for himself. He committed fully, staying in the program for nearly two years. John has been sober now for over four years, and his entire healthy life is in front of him.
Recovery isn’t just about sobriety. It’s about rebuilding a life with purpose. That’s where allcove Beach Cities came in. John joined the Youth Advisory Group at allcove as a volunteer, not knowing exactly what to expect. He just wanted to expand his role in his community. But what he found was something bigger: A mission. He played a crucial role in helping allcove Beach Cities open its doors, and when a Peer Specialist position became available, he stepped into it seamlessly.
Now, John works one-on-one with young people who are navigating struggles similar to his own. Through lived experience, he offers guidance, support, and most importantly, hope. “I can honestly say I feel like I am making an impact on my community and changing young people’s lives through the work I am doing at allcove,” John says. “I use my story to benefit others.” “My lived experience is what makes my role with allcove so unique,” says John. “Being rooted in work that is meaningful to the young people in our community, operating as a peer specialist holds extreme value. My judgement and work with individuals is impactful. Without my story, without the changes I made in my life, none of it is possible. My hope is my story can inspire and help others.”
