Torrion Porter: Story of Survival to Recovery
“My name is Torrion Porter,” he begins with a confident yet humble tone, “and I’m from Phoenix, Arizona.”
His journey to Utah, however, was anything but planned.
Finding His Way to Utah
At 17, Torrion believed he was heading to Yuma, Arizona.
Someone had purchased him a bus ticket over the phone, but a mix-up sent him in an entirely different direction.
“I thought the T in Utah was silent,” he says, chuckling at the memory.
Expecting to disembark just a few hours from home, he woke up in Las Vegas during a layover, confused and lost.
The bus driver looked at his ticket and said, “You’re going to Utah.
You’re a long way away from Yuma Arizona.”
When the bus finally arrived in Utah, Torrion needed to prepare.
“I didn’t even have a place to stay,” he explains.
Full of shame, homeless and in unfamiliar surroundings, he faced new challenges, including raising a young daughter with limited resources.
Table of Contents
Torrion's Life Shaped by Struggle
Torrion’s childhood was far from easy.
Born into a family steeped in gang culture, he was surrounded by drug use, violence, and instability.
His father was a gang member and drug dealer, while his mother struggled with her own battles.
“By the time I was 11, I was left on my own,” Torrion recalls.
“That’s when my abandonment issues and drug use started.”
At just 15, he became a father for the first time.
By 17, he juggled life on the streets and cared for a second child.
Desperate to survive, he pushed drugs in downtown Salt Lake City, all while trying to provide for his daughter.
The cycles of addiction and crime eventually led to prison, where Torrion spent nine years for robbery.
Reflecting on that time, he says, “Prison taught me a lot. I realized the people I thought cared about me didn’t. I had to change for me.”
Choosing a New Path
Released in March 2024, Torrion embraced recovery and began building a brighter future.
“Recovery is real,” he says passionately.
“It helped me become the man I am today.”
Determined to break the cycle, he earned his peer support certification and now works as a recovery assistant at the Volunteers of America Detox Men’s Center.
Torrion uses his story to connect with others in recovery, offering support and hope to those battling addiction.
“I can relate to their struggles,” he says.
“I’ve been there, and I want them to know they can make it too.”
Breaking the Chains of the Past
Torrion is proud of his changes but acknowledges the weight of his past.
“My last name, Porter, comes with a history,” he says.
“Where I’m from, my family is known as convicts. I want to change that.”
Leaving gang life wasn’t easy.
In prison, Torrion made the decision to stop gangbanging, a move that required him to face dangerous consequences.
But in Utah, far from his gang’s influence, he found the freedom to rebuild his life on his terms.
“I had to learn that I didn’t need anyone else’s approval to change,” he says.
“Now, I focus on what I’m building for my future, not what happened in the past.”
A Vision for the Future
Today, Torrion is committed to growth and giving back.
He plans to earn his GED and pursue certification as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC).
His ultimate goal?
To become a therapist and start his own program for people in recovery.
“I want to help people understand that falling doesn’t mean failing,” Torrion explains.
“I’ve fallen a lot, but I keep getting back up.”
Through his work, he hopes to inspire others to believe in the possibility of change.
“If I can make it, you can too,” he often tells those he mentors.
“I’m living proof that recovery is possible.”
A Message of Hope From Torrion Porter
For Torrion, recovery isn’t just a personal journey—it’s a mission to uplift others.
“I want to give back to the places that helped me,” he says, reflecting on the homeless shelters and outreach centers that supported him during his darkest times.
With resilience and determination, Torrion is rewriting his story.
He’s proving that a better future is possible no matter where you come from or what you’ve been through.
As he puts it, “I’m not looking back. My focus is forward, on building something positive—not just for me, but for everyone who needs to know they can recover too.”
Recognizing the value of true friendship, he said, “It’s my recovery community, especially Manny Lopez.
He’s helped me a lot. He’s my real brotha.”
