Carter Armstrong is about 1,400 km into his halfway-across-Canada run for mental health, planning to finish in Dryden.
Content warning: Please note that this article addresses suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or in need of urgent support, call 911. The CMHA also provides crisis response services across the region, including a 24/7 helpline at 807-346-8282 or toll free at 1-866-888-8988.
WALSH, Alta. — “I have a million reasons to keep going and I don’t have one to quit.” Carter Armstrong is about 1,400 km into his halfway-across-Canada run for mental health awareness which began on April 10.
Crossing into Saskatchewan this past Thursday, the 41st day of his journey, the 23-year-old solo runner began in Vancouver and plans to finish in Dryden.
The run holds special meaning to Armstrong, who two years ago lost a friend to mental illness, and nearly his own battle, driving him to begin this journey.
Originally from Sioux Lookout, Armstrong is raising money for the Canadian Mental Health Association and is already more than halfway to his fundraising goal. As he documents his run on social media, he said that he receives at least ten messages daily from people inspired by his cause.
“I get a new reason every day with someone reaching out and saying that I inspired them and that they didn’t want to get up this morning” he said. “I made them realize that its okay to not be okay. And as a man there’s still a stigma around (mental illness), so those messages really fill my soul.”
“It takes a lot for someone to open up, and if I can create a safe space for someone to open up to me … or talk to a loved one, go get help or take a step forward, that’s everything,” he said.
Armstrong added he has been able to show himself what he’s made of, and what he’s worth.
After working as an underground miner in Yukon, Armstrong said that he needed a win in life and decided to run a marathon. He succeeded, without training, and after such a rewarding accomplishment, Armstrong committed to 60 km per week for about a month and a half wearing a weighted vest in preparation for the mental health run.
He runs alone with his 50-pound backpack filled with water and a tent, though as he has gained more support, people offer to drive his backpack to his next destination.
“If I had an RV following me, I wouldn’t get the experience to meet as many people as I have and touch has many peoples’ souls and really have genuine human connections along the way,” said Armstrong.
On his third day running, still in British Columia, Armstrong had set a 60-kilometre daily goal, but quickly realized it wasn’t realistic, his body still adjusting to the level of endurance required. The high altitudes didn’t help, nor did falling behind on sustenance and water.
It was then he got the help of former Olympic high-performance coach Kari Schneider, who reached out to Armstrong to offer advice. He has also had support and guidance from Saskatchewan’s Team Jacobson curling team, and other physical therapists.
“I took a rest day that day, my fourth day, and really re-evaluated and came at it with more of a structure and a better plan, and I’ve been listening to my body a lot more,” he said. “Now I have it under control and it’s a lot easier, this week on Monday I did 64 kilometres, the day after I did 33, yesterday I did 48, today is 46.”
Armstrong aims to arrive in Dryden in late June, and is considering holding a fundraiser run in the city to finish off his journey. While he would like to do the whole country, living on the road is expensive and it would require a sponsorships.
He said he wants to continue to inspire people by going into a field of work that helps others.
He describes the endurance of running the great distance the physical embodiment of the pain that mental illness causes people every day.
Armstrong’s fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association has raised over $17,500 to date.