After revealing he is more than 54 days sober, former professional athlete Ryan Lochte spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about how he overcame substance abuse, which began after a 2023 car accident. Lochte, 41, told Us, "I fell into a cycle of depression that led to substance abuse." Back in November 2023, Lochte was involved in a crash in Gainesville, Florida, that he called a "near-death experience." Lochte was on his way to pick up his kids when he slammed into a stopped trash truck. "I scared a lot of people," he said in an interview with People months after the incident. "I scared myself.