TROUTDALE, Ore. — On a rainy Tuesday morning, Kyndal Ray Edwards walks past storefronts along Historic Columbia River Highway in Troutdale.
He pushes a three-wheeled cart with signs fastened to the sides that read, "A Walking Testimony. Walking across America for mental health awareness, recovery and habits."
The 30-year-old is on his 355th day of walking across the United States, but in about a week, he will finish his coast-to-coast journey. Edwards, who has dealt with addition and depression, is on a mission to bring awareness to mental health.
"As somebody that in the last 13 years, I’ve tried to take my life twice, I've overdosed numerous times, I've lost my heartbeat, I've been in county jail 11 times, prison twice, it hasn't been easy," Edwards said. "But one thing I can say is that when it clicked in my head and I finally wanted it, nothing stopped me from turning my life around."
Edwards began his long walk in Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Jan. 1, 2022. But he was inspired to make the cross-country journey 10 years ago after reading a newspaper article about a man who walked from Florida to California.
When Edwards came across the man's story in 2013, he was in the county jail at the time. He was released in 2014 and eventually connected with the man on social media, who told him if he could do one thing differently, it would be to walk for a good cause.
Now Edwards has been clean for four years and his life looks different.
Since starting a cross-country walk of his own, he has covered nearly 3,100 miles and has traveled through 13 states. He had to pause his mission for a few months after undergoing surgery in August. He has persisted even through extreme weather.
"Winter [was] very intense. I've seen dramatic amounts of snow between Utah, Idaho and Colorado," he said. "It's been rough. It's been challenging, but it's made every single day that I've done an accomplishment."
Edwards has documented the trek on his social media pages, sharing photos and videos of the scenery and moments connecting with people he meets. He said many people have reached out to him wanting to help him with supplies.
"Despite what anybody sees on the media or anywhere else, there’s so much more good in the world than bad and I get to experience on a daily experience," he said.
Edwards said he started a GoFundMe to raise money for a Florida-based nonprofit that helps people experiencing depression and addiction.
"It’s one step. It’s one day at a time," he said. "I get a lot of people that tell me, 'I’m only three days clean. I’m only one month clean.' Something I like to let people know is every second counts."
He hopes to finish his cross-country walk on April 12 when he arrives in Long Beach, Washington.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, the 988 national helpline will connect you with trained mental health counselors.