The Walking Man: Addict-Turned-Advocate Stops In Tuscaloosa On Nationwide Trek

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Kyndal Ray took a drag off his menthol cigarette as he sat in an easy chair in a Tuscaloosa motel room off of McFarland Boulevard Friday morning. Sporting a bright orange, island-themed boonie hat, Ray told Patch of his battles with addiction, run-ins with the law and the salvation he found through his own two feet.

Click here to subscribe to our free Tuscaloosa Daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

Ray, 28, was released from a Florida prison last November and had his mind made up for the next chapter of his life before he ever returned to society. Originally from Orange Park, Florida, Ray has spent the majority of his adult life in and out of jail due to his battles with drug addiction and mental health issues.

But, at present, Ray is celebrating his sobriety in a way few would think to — by walking from one end of the continental United States to the other, all in an effort to raise both money and awareness for those in recovery and facing mental health issues.

"I know I'm not built for a nine-to-five job," he said with an animated laugh. "I'm built for adventure. I believe God has me on this planet for a reason and I believe stuff like [the walk across the country] was the reason."

To date, Ray has covered more than 500 miles on his journey, snaking his way through Florida and Georgia, before making it through most of the Yellowhammer State. The final destination he has in mind is La Push, Washington — roughly 2,700 miles from Tuscaloosa.

Ray kept his cart in his motel room, which has been converted into a temporary home with the few personal effects and creature comforts he carries on the trip — a laptop, a gray fleece blanket and a small stack of paperback science fiction books. He has gone through more than one set of wheels since his journey began and now pushes a converted dog stroller that has a lightweight frame made of space-age metal, solid wheels and a mesh bucket with plenty of cargo room. All told, his payload normally weighs in at about 100 pounds.

"Until a couple of miles getting into here, I had good road the whole way," he said of making it to Tuscaloosa. "Then, right on the white line [of the interstate] the bumps were on the white line. There were rocks on the side and it's dark, so I had no space. It was so sketchy. I had a semi come within a foot of me. But I couldn’t go far off the road because it was such a steep incline. That was rough and I had some big hills yesterday. "

Thankfully, Ray was able to pitch his tent at the popular rest area on Interstate 59 in Cottondale and even awoke to a smeared message of "thank you" written on his tent in some kind of red ink. The occurrence was something he couldn't explain, not having come in contact with anyone for miles other than rest area attendants, but one that represents just one of the comforting oddities of life on the road.

"The people I've met have been great," Ray said of the generosity he has encountered along the way since he first set out from Jacksonville Beach in January. "Because this is what it's all about. I've had a couple people give me $100, one guy gave me $60 ... I don’t sit there and ask for it, but it's a huge blessing."

But while Ray has definitely benefited from his message leaving an impact on others, the story he tells is a candid one, replete with rock-bottom truths and a big second chance at life.

"At my sister’s wedding, I took cards out of the thing because they had money in them," he said, providing just one of many anecdotes of chemical-induced wrongdoing. "I broke into her car and took her checkbook and took her honeymoon money."

While he was raised in a Southern Baptist home that was stable, Ray told me his addiction issues began late in his teen years into young adulthood.

"For this journey, it's been a dream of mine to walk across America since 2013," he said. "The last 10 years of my life have been addiction, depression and crime. In 2013, I was doing a year in the county jail and I came across a newspaper article titled 'America on Foot' and it was a picture of a dude, he had been in cafés and stuff and just hanging out with people and some people would walk with him here and there and I thought it was so cool and wanted to do something like that."

The man mentioned in that fateful newspaper article was Harrison Milanian — who walked roughly 3,000 miles from Florida to California in 2013. Ray reached out to Milanian, who he said responded and ultimately served as the spark of inspiration for his current journey.

"He hit me up a couple days later and said the only thing he would have done different is walk for a cause, so then I had the idea," Ray said.

His plans would be delayed nearly a decade, due to a hard-to-shake penchant for burglary to finance his drug habits. Indeed, after getting out on probation and hoping to get on the road, a fight would violate the terms of his release and land him back in jail. Ray's release last fall followed a prison sentence for breaking into a post office, he said.

"I was in work release and I had forgot about the walk for a while," Ray said. "I would think about it, but I'm in work release, met a girl and things didn't work out. So, I asked myself what I was even doing. But we had a canvas with all of the continents on it and when I saw it, I said to myself, I could still do [the walk across the country].'"

Fighting through the demons of addiction and achieving a newfound life of sobriety and mental clarity, Ray said he began to think about what causes he could carry on his back during his nationwide trek. Considering his own story and the problems he knew all too well, he turned his focus to mental health and addiction.

"I am walking for a cause and I have to put that first — over the dream," Ray said. "But I can still enjoy it. At first, I was rushing to get out of Florida and out of Georgia and folks were telling me to slow down and enjoy it. But, for the recovery and mental health thing, I’ve tried to take my life twice. I’ve overdosed on drugs. I lost my heartbeat at a party ... I've learned a lot about myself. I have common sense, but didn’t think about consequences when I was doing stuff and I want people to know that. For you to understand where I came from to where I am now, some of this stuff is vital to realize just how far I have come. I have no problem sharing it."

Ray is quick to tell the harrowing stories of his past, but with a long road ahead of him, he insisted that he is keeping his feet moving forward and his eyes fixed on the horizon. As part of the effort, he has also become a brand ambassador for Habits 365 — a clothing company that promotes healthy lifestyles.

"As of right now, the opportunities are endless," Ray said. "There's no real end destination. I’ve come across so many great people who have offered me jobs and I'm not even 500 miles in. There's gonna be so much more to come."

Click here to donate to Ray's GoFundMe and here to follow his journey on Facebook. Ray pointed out that once he reaches Washington, 70% of the total raised will be donated between two different organizations, with one already decided and the other yet to be determined.

Ray said the first nonprofit picked — To Write Love On Her Arms — will receive 45% of the proceeds and has already been notified of the gesture.

"They cover mental health and recovery," Ray said. "The other hasn’t been chosen and this where I want to get people involved and find one that covers both mental health and recovery."

But when asked about how he has confronted his addictions and parlayed his experiences into helping others, Ray said he could only thank a higher power.

"I know where my heart’s at," he said. "I’ve been through supernatural experiences and I know I'm supposed to be here today."

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.