'A Walking Testimony' mental health advocate visits Sonoma County on walk across America, tells locals 'you matter'
The Press DemocratMar 22, 2024
Mar. 22—For nearly 500 days,
In a word, Edwards said in a phone call Thursday from a hotel that his trek down the
"I'm from a huge city, so we don't see stuff like this," Edwards said of west
Since leaving from his home in
Along the way he documents his journey on social media and speaks to people on the road and to groups and schools he connects with online.
"The main thing I do is share my story every single day, multiple times a day," he said.
Before embarking on his walk, Edwards said he dealt with depression, drug use and a life of crime in
During his incarceration, he said he finally turned his life around and is now nearly five years sober and over 4,600 miles into his walk, having crossed from
While making his way through the
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At the center of his message is that "You Matter."
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"I tell people that they are loved and they have value and purpose and they matter," Edwards said. "And I tell people that when it comes to recovery, a support system is amazing, but none of it is going to work unless you want it to work. Recovery is hard if you don't have good mental health, that's the center of everything if you ask me."
Throughout his two-year journey, Edwards has faced setbacks, including hernia surgery and challenges like a walk through the
"I thrive off of accomplishments after giving myself a goal, especially a challenging goal," he said. "That stretch from
Edwards funds his journey by selling "A Walking Testimony" merchandise online and accepts donations and lodging from the 44,000 people who follow him on TikTok and other social media platforms.
He said people he meets every day keep him motivated to keep walking, from those who see his "You Matter" sign and stop to talk, to those who share their own stories of dealing with addiction or depression.
"Almost 90% of comments (on social media) are somebody saying how much of an inspiration this journey is or what this journey is doing for them, it's stuff like that that keeps me going," he said.
In addition to following his walk on social media, Edwards encourages people to share his message and advocate for mental health and addiction recovery in their own ways.
He also invites those who want to walk with him to join him on
The day will mark his 31st birthday and his 500th day of walking.
Edwards will begin his walk from the
"Anybody that can see the sign, we just want them to know that they matter," he said.
For more information, go to kyndalray.com and follow Edwards' journey at facebook.com/WalkingAcrossAmerica22.
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