A WALKING TESTIMONY

My name Is Coach Kyndal Ray Edwards! On January 1st, 2022, I put my feet in the Atlantic Ocean in Jacksonville Beach, FL and started my Walk Across America for Mental Health Awareness, and Recovery! I walked 3,292 miles across 13 states over 15 months! I put my feet in the Pacific Ocean to complete my coast to coast portion of this journey on April 12th, 2023, also my 4 year drug-free date, in Long Beach, Washington!

I’ve already walked coast to coast from Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean from Jacksonville Beach, Florida to Long Beach, Washington and then walked all the way to the most north western point of connecting United States at Cape Flattery in Washington! After San Diego, I will walk southern states back to Florida and down to the Keys to hit most south eastern point and then walk the east coast up to Lubec, Maine to hit the most north eastern point of connecting United States!

If you see me coming through your town, or walking down the road, please feel free to honk, wave, or if it’s safe, pull over for a high five, handshake, or a hug! I am not a bum and will not ask you for anything other than prayers and to follow the journey! I do walk town to town mile for mile legitimately! Sometimes between towns people help me with rides after I walk to get lodging and I will get a ride back to wherever I leave off to keep walking unless I have to reroute! I will never ever clock a mile in a vehicle to add in the journey even during a reroute! I am a mental health advocate and a recovery coach that has dealt with 15+ years combined of depression, addiction, and crime! I’m not proud of my past but after 11 times in county jail, 2 times in prison, a few overdoses, and 2 suicide attempts, something finally clicked in my head to change my life during my last 5 year prison sentence about 2 1/2 years in! I got clean in prison where it can be easier to drugs than on the streets! I have 13 felonies and have done a lot of wrong but my past does not define me! I’m blessed for life today and there is so many people of all ages, losing their lives daily to drug overdoses and suicides, to mental health and recovery issues! As somebody who is so blessed to be a survivor and someone who has changed his life, it has been a dream of mine to walk across America since 2013! My life just wasn’t in the right spot back then. Now that it is, I am walking to all the four different corners of connecting you United States, with two coast to coast involved, one already done, to tell everybody that You Matter and We Do Recover! As I meet so many people on a daily basis, and talk recovery and mental health individually, and as it was a never a part of my personal recovery, I do not just go sit in meetings. But the support system in meetings is absolutely incredible. Sometimes I get invited to be a guest speaker during special speaker meetings, and I would love to share my story. I have spoken in one school, and I would like to speak in more eventually. I will say that I highly recommend doing a background check on me where my past is not the best! If you ever would like to look me up, please message me and I will give you the information if you haven’t found it yourself! I am employed, and I am still slowly working on my restitution. No donation has ever or will ever go towards paying off stuff from my past, that I am taking care of slowly on my own. Once again, I’m not proud of my past, but I’m a very transparent open person about my life and proud of where I am today! Sometimes people message me and offer food and lodging, but it is something that I will never ask for, and never expect from anybody. Anything I do receive is an absolute blessing, and if anybody else were to put themselves in my shoes, they would be able to experience the blessings that I receive. I am not out here for fame and money, but I am out here for awareness. Awareness does come with attention, and I hope to bring much attention to mental health awareness and recovery and hopes that somebody may be inspired by my story, and willing to take the steps to change their lives for the better! As I am employed, when I do get lower on funds, I have no problem doing side work to make a few extra bucks. I eventually hope to be a motivational speaker, sharing my story all around the world. There is a lot of darkness in the world, and I just wanna be a positive light and make people smile while lifting as many people as I can up with love!

I keep a shirt with 180 names of beautiful souls who have lost their lives to drug overdose and/or suicide! Even though they are no longer with us, they are still being remembered and getting the journey of a lifetime! Whether on or off the shirt, no name is more important name than any other name! They all deserved to be remembered respectfully! The 180 names I do have on the shirt represent taking a 180 degree turn in the opposite direction from the things that are taking the people we love and care about! I pray on my Facebook page "A Walking Testimony" every day for the people who are struggling!

This website is merchandise that I have put together that mirrors the causes that i walk for. This merchandise helps to support me on my journey but at the same time there are important references to mental health and recovery throughout my products.

God bless you all, and never forget, everybody, that You Matter and We Do Recover!

Also, for anyone struggling, The Crisis Hotline is 988! Please call or text that number at anytime if you need someone to reach out to! Whether I know you personally or not, I love You and I Care About You!

Walking America (All 4 Corners) for Mental Health Awareness and Recovery!
#AWalkingTestimony #WalkingAmerica #MentalHealthAwareness #Recovery #YouMatter #WeDoRecoverEnterWrite to Kyndal Ray Edwards

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