Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

LONG DISTANCE DEDICATION

Joe Hall On Cross Country Road Trip To Raise Awareness About Mental Health

On Friday of last week, Joe Hall began wearing his sixth pair of shoes in his journey across America. He stayed the night in Dix, then walked through Kimball to Pine Bluffs on Highway 30.

Hall estimated that he will need two more pairs of shoes to complete the cross country walk.

In May, he began the trip in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The walk is to raise awareness for mental health issues and suicide awareness.

He walks between 22-30 miles a day depending on the terrain, weather and location of towns. Hall's journey will be completed when he arrives in Oceanside, Calif.

Why walk across the country? Hall responded to that question with his life story of hitting bottom. He lost a management job, then injured his bicep. He finally was in a motorcycle accident and fractured his pelvis, broke his wrist, fractured the orbital bone, among many other setbacks.

Although he said he had always had some mental health issues, in the hospital he hit an all time low. He claimed he would have committed suicide if he had not been hurt so badly that it was impossible to do in his condition.

Inspired by Mike Posner's walk across American in 2019 and the video "Live Before I Die," Hall found his purpose.

Hall is a diehard Ohio State Buckeyes fan and plans his weekend stops so he can watch Ohio State football.

Early this week, Hall was in the middle of Wyoming.