(update: adding comments from Alex Bradley)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – An Austin man walking more than 2,500 miles to honor his best friend and support others facing mental health struggles is nearing the end of his journey in Oregon.
Jillian Fortner sits down with Bradley to talk about his journey and the inspiration behind it. You can catch her report on KTVZ News at 6:00 p.m.
Bradley said he felt compelled to act after the 2021 suicide of his best friend, AJ, a loss he describes as the driving force behind his mission.
“I always told myself I was going to see those last steps,” Bradley said. “I was going to find a way—come hell or high water – to get there, whether it was flying, driving, or, walking.”
He began his journey in Austin, documenting each step as he walked through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California before reaching Oregon.
He will arrive in Bend on Sunday, November 30th.
“There’s going to be a big green van in the town,” said Bradley. “We’re really quick to respond if you guys if anybody wants to go on a walk.”
He now finds himself in the final leg of his trip, with plans to finish in early December in Oregon City, the same place AJ took his last steps.
The walk has tested Bradley’s limits, both physically and emotionally.
“I didn’t even know I could walk 88 days, 89 days. But we’re here doing it,” he said.
He averages about 50,000 to 60,000 steps a day, traveling with a van, a small crew and support from people he meets along the way.
Along his route, many people stop to share their own stories with him.
“You carry those people’s names with people’s family members, those people’s stories,” Bradley said. “So many people are fighting much harder battles and I get to see and witness it from just driving this big thing across the country and walking beside it.”
The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those struggling with mental health. Bradley hopes his journey encourages people to reach out, talk about their pain and seek support when they need it.
He says simple moments can make the biggest difference.
“Everybody just needs a walk, somebody to talk to and a chance to look at a beautiful landscape for just a little bit,” said Bradley.