LANCASTER CO., PA — Skyler King is skateboarding more than 1,000 miles from Mississippi to New York City, but it’s not about sightseeing.
“I’m raising awareness for mental health and suicide prevention,” King said.
King’s trip comes more than two years after his brother, Justin, took his own life. He said skateboarding has long been part of his life because of his brother.
“I grew up skating, and my brother got me into it. So, I’ve stuck to it. Skateboarding means a lot to me, and I can’t thank him enough for introducing me to it,” King said.
“He’d be right alongside me. He’d be super stoked. Or if he wasn’t here, he’d be jealous,” King said when asked what he thinks his brother would say if he knew he was doing this today.
He said the journey requires constant attention to what’s ahead of him on the road.
“I have to be fully focused on what’s on the road, like looking for cracks and rocks and cars and people and now, like, horse poop and stuff,” King said.
Despite the challenges, King said the trip has been about connecting with people he meets along the way.
“Shared a lot of hugs and tears with strangers. So that’s been quite the experience and much needed on both ends because, you know, it’s pretty lonely out on the road,” King said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support King’s trip and has already received more than $10,000 in donations. King said the support has helped him push forward.
“I never thought I would do this, but I went for it, and I had a bunch of support behind it,” he said.