Kyndal Ray is walking across America to bring awareness and raise funds in support of mental health, suicide prevention 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,” Ray states on his website.
The Tri-City Record spoke with Ray on Wednesday, as he was winding up his day on U.S. Highway 64, west of Kirtland.
“So I go by coach Kendall Ray, recovery coach, through a group called addict to athletes, nonprofit that I'm actually raising money for as I'm walking across mental health and recovery and mental health advocate, AKA a walking testimony,” Ray said.
His journey began in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Jan. 1, 2022.
“I only count the days I walk on the actual days that I walk. So today's Day 635,” Ray said, adding that he’s walked 13 states and 3,292 miles to Long Beach, Washington, to put his feet in the Pacific Ocean on April 12, 2023.
That date doubled as his four-year drug-free date.
“From there I walked up to Cape Flattery, which is the most northwestern point of the lower 48 states in Washington. And then from there, I walked the entire West Coast down to border Field State Park in San Diego, which is the most southwestern point,” he said.
Now on his way to Albuquerque, he’s heading back to Florida, but wanted to hit certain special places, including Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Forrest Gump point (Mexican Hat, Utah) and the Four Corners Monument.
He’ll take a break for Christmas to visit family and plans to put his feet back in the Atlantic Ocean on April 12, 2025, where he began. It will mark his six-year, drug-free day.
“And then I'm heading down to Key West to touch the most southeastern point, and then east coast up to Lubec, Maine, and the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.
“So all four corners (of the U.S.) and all for mental health awareness and recovery, to tell people that they matter and that we do recover,” said Ray, whose fundraising efforts are aligned with Addict II Athlete.
He has raised close to $2,200, with a goal of $50,000.
“Now on the first part of the journey, the first coast-to-coast, I raised for a nonprofit called To Write Love On Her Arms. We were able to raise, I think, close to $6,700 … so it was just really cool,” Ray said.
Ray shared that he’s done a few thing for different organizations, which actually are active for mental health and recovery.
“They’ve got licensed therapists and clinicians and everything like that,” he said.
Ray, who had just passed through the Navajo Reservation, said, “It's crazy, because my favorite individual spot of all times on this journey, when it comes to land and the people and everything, is Cape Flattery and Neah Bay, Washington. So that's a Native (Makah Tribe) and that's reservation land. And I learned then that I love the Native people because they try to keep their traditions alive.”
Ray received a lot of support in the last couple of weeks from people of the Navajo Nation, “because so many people are affected,” he said.
“I probably had anywhere from 300 to 400 honks. … I've never had so many people stop on the side of the road at one time,” he said. “Somebody gave me a Navajo flag. People gave me a Navajo beanie today.”
He was also given an animal skin, beads, an arrowhead and a feather lanyard.
“I've just been so blessed. And it's been like such an honor, because like them blessing me from my understanding, is like a huge sign of honor,” Ray said. “Positivity and the love is so much heavier than most communities I’ve been in.”
Ray said he had been escorted with hazard lights flashing through Shiprock Thursday.
Asked if people had shared their personal journey with mental health or addiction, “So that lady … she had messed up legs, like she got out for a little bit … and even rode on a little scooter – lost two of her sons – to the causes that I'm walking for,” Ray said. “People shed tears with me and share their stories on the side of the road.”
Ray said he knew mental health and recovery was an important thing to walk for and that so many people are losing their lives.
“I didn't understand the extensive amount of how it's impacted people until I started this journey, and it was random people pulling over on the side of the road, sharing deepest, darkest secrets with me,” he said.
On his website, Ray sells T-shirts that have 90 names on the front and 90 names on the back, who have lost their lives due to mental health or recovery issues.
“Now, whether they're on the shirt or the banner … the 180 on each edition stands for taking a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction from the things, taking the people that we love and care about,” he said.
He’s walking for the one’s that are struggling to let them know that they do matter, Ray said.
