Woman Walks From Michigan To California For Mental Health Awareness
She's walking. Yes indeed, she's walking! Tarissa Reel is walking from Michigan to California. She's on a mission to walk across the United States. She started out 5 days ago and has paced about 15 to 20 miles per day so far. Reel told Fox 17,
"I am going to be walking until Aug. 14 that is my stopping day. That is when I have to come back and be here for my children to start school."
Why is she walking so far? Reel is doing it to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding mental health issues and to show people all they have to do is put one foot in front of the other. It's an issue that hits close to home for Reel.
"Mental health has affected my life a great deal and still does, from childhood abuse and neglect to my mom having her own mental health issues as well. "
Reel started her walk in Burton last Tuesday. She made it to Lansing by Saturday. Her final destination is over 2,000 miles away. She has a long way to go and will have to move quickly but Reel states that the destination is not the point. Reel hopes to make it to Missouri and then plan the rest of her trip. Reel hopes others will take away from her walk a sense to "keep going."
"Even if you don’t think you can keep going, it’s about still going because you don’t know what you’re going to be doing a week from now, six months from now or even five years."
Donations can be made to Reel in person if you happen to see her walking or through Venmo on her Facebook page.
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