Ranger’s Walk Across America
And so I walk.
Walk to Listen. Listen to Connect. Connect to Learn. Learn to Live.
Hi, I’m Ranger. And I am walking across America. That’s right, starting March 2024, I will be making a through-hike trek across our beautiful country. I will be starting with my feet in the Atlantic Ocean, and end with a dive in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, I am sure you are also asking yourself a question I’ve heard a thousand times… so I will ask it for you:
Why the hell am I doing this?
It all started a while back. Let’s say 2012, to give a time. I, a freshman in high school, heard the quote “every man has two deaths, [the first is] when he is buried in the ground, and the [second is the] last time someone says his name” – Ernest Hemmingway.
This quote got me obsessed with the idea of “legacy” and “being remembered after I die.” My biggest fear was being forgotten shortly after I pass by others.
That all changed when, in 2018, my grandfather, Papa Larry, passed away from Alzheimer’s.
From listening to his and my Nana Rose’s story (told by my mom, and Nana herself), I realized something that would completely shift my outlook:
You can live your entire life, working to be remembered by everyone else, only to forgot who YOU are.
I was so caught up in the idea of the space between 1 and 2, that I was neglecting the space between 0 and 1.
It made me realize that life is up to us to create a life that is worth remembering.
And then, in 2019, I saw that the singer Mike Posner was in the midst of a walk across America on Instagram. I thought that was crazy! And amazing! I thought “I could do that!”… And I thought I could NEVER do something like that. I don’t have the skill. The time. The money. I told myself all these stories as to why I couldn’t do it, before I even knew what it was all about.
I tried pushing the thought of the walk out. Thought “nah, that isn’t for me… like, I could never do something like that. That’s crazy.” But, the more I tried to NOT think about it, the more I did.
I thought. And thought some more…. and, eventually, realized something important.
If you can’t stop thinking about something, that probably means you should do something about it.
So I decided to just do the damn thing.
I decided, in 2022, that come March 2024, I would walk across the country. I would do something to help build a life worth remembering- for me.
In the spirit of “Doing something about it”, I wanted to make the walk bigger than myself. So I gave it a mission:
My mission for the walk is to highlight, learn from, and work with people in the USA that are making a real impact in their community.
In order to complete the overall mission, we have several “Side Missions” for The Walk. Below you will find all of the ways we plan to make that happen- but we need your help.
1. Raise Money for Impact-Driven Non-Profits
We want to support non-profits that are making real differences in the world.
Below are the (3) organizations my Walk Across America supports. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation, click the link below!
Our goal is to raise a collective $100,000.
The proceeds, collected through Wander Project, will be equally dispersed between the (3) organizations listed below.
Future Farmers of America (FFA)– FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
The funds collected during Ranger’s Walk Across America will be used to fund Supervised Agricultural Experience Grants that will fund the work-based learning experiences of FFA students across the United States.
When we hit our fundraising goal, we will be able to fund 25 grants.
Bigger Than The Trail– We come alongside individuals, providing educational support and treatment options. Please don’t think our mission is limited to just people who run. This is much bigger than that. Running is not the focus; but rather the people we can impact. Our focus is to bring light to the real struggles and challenges that are associated with mental health.
When we hit our fundraising goal, we will be able to sponsor roughly 60 months of treatment for those struggling with mental health issues.
The Hospice Promise – The Hospice Promise Foundation assists patients and families with essential, non-medical related expenses they are unable to afford themselves – such as rent and utility bills, emergency repairs, personal care items and food assistance.
When we hit our fundraising goal, we will be able to help multiple families receive care, assistance, and support when they need it most.
2. The Within Range Podcast
During The Walk I will be interviewing the people that are truly making a difference in the world. From entrepreneurs to non-profit leaders, all the way to community members that just want a better neighborhood. If you would like to be on the podcast, or would like to nominate someone to be a guest, please fill out the interest form and we will contact you shortly.
Our Partners
At the end of the day, we wouldn’t be able to make this happen if we were doing it alone.
We are partnering with some amazing, impact-driven organizations and individuals that all share a similar goal: Make the world a better place.
If you’re interested in partnering with Within Range Coaching for The Walk, send us an email! We’d love to chat and see how we can work together.
Buy Ranger a Coffee
(I’ll survive my Walk Across America without it. If you want to support, please give to our donation fund first.)
If you’d like to support me directly, THANK YOU! There are a lot of different expenses I’ll incur, and everything helps.
(Be warned, there’s a chance I’ll use it to buy coffee for someone else too.)