SHILLINGTON, Pa. – A Berks County man just spent five days and fifteen hours running across the state, all in the name of mental health.
28-year-old Brendan Morgan of Shillington says many times throughout his run across Pennsylvania he was compared to Forrest Gump. But unlike Gump, who just felt like running, Morgan was on a mission.
“To raise awareness for mental health and to show that no matter how hard of a time that you’re having, you can push through everything no matter what,” said Morgan.
He says he began planning about a year ago and by spring, things turned more serious. On Saturday, he began his more than 340-mile trek across the state, starting in Pittsburgh.
He finished Thursday night at Washington Crossing Bridge.
“During it, it felt like it was lasting an eternity, but I’m so sad that it’s over already,” said Morgan. “I can’t believe it went by that fast.”
His journey helped raise money and awareness for the National Alliance of Mental Illness. It’s a cause he has a personal connection with.
“I lost my dad when I was very young and then I lost my brother to suicide,” said Morgan. “Then I tried to commit suicide myself when I was in high school.”
His journey through life, much like his race across the state, hasn’t been easy, but with the right support he wants people to know they can do anything.
“I went out there and was just the athlete, but I would never be out there and doing what I’m doing without the support I had from everybody,” said Morgan. “So, it’s not an ‘I’ thing, it’s always going to be a ‘we’ thing.”
He encourages anyone struggling with their mental health to reach out to someone.