Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk over 8,000 miles? Check out this week's Member Spotlight, featuring Charity Miles member Mycle Brandy! We recently had the opportunity to speak with Mycle about his adventures, past, present, and future!
“In my past life, I was a jazz/blues singer, a glazier, and a bouncer. I was injured on my glazier job which caused me to have several strokes and the loss of most of my hearing.” A huge amount of medication resulted in Mycle being diagnosed with untreatable liver disease. He took up walking soon after in 2006 when he completed his first of 9 marathons!
His ambitions grew by leaps and bounds when he took on the enormous task of walking across the entire United States. “I decided to walk across America for the first time during an interview with the OC Register in the fall of 2009 when I blurted out “I’m gonna walk across America!” I completed the first walk from the Pacific in Newport Beach to the Potomac in Washington DC on 10/10/10. The following year I walked from San Diego to Seattle and the year after that I walked from Madawaska, Maine to Miami Beach.”
While Mycle has had great success in many of his endeavors, his experiences have not been without struggle. “I attempted a walk from Portland to Portland which was canceled when my driver’s wife fell at home and injured herself. I attempted it again but my driver became ill and went home where he passed away. In the last year, I was diagnosed with a triple-A (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) but it has remained stable in spite of my intense training.”
Mycle’s incredible accomplishments have been recognized by a wide array of individuals, President Obama included! “I received a Letter of Congratulations from President and 1st Lady Obama after my first walk. My cousin surprised me with the letter when I finished at the top of the Lincoln Memorial with fellow survivor Glenn Woerner who joined me for the last mile. It was a tremendous honor. I received a letter of Congratulations from Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn after my second walk. When I finished my 3rd Walk down the East Coast I received a proclamation from the mayor & city council naming 2/14/13 Mycle Brandy Day in Miami. Better than the key to the city!”
He began using Charity Miles in February of last year after stumbling upon the app while browsing the internet. Nowadays, you can find Mycle using the app to track his daily mileage while walking from Rockaway Beach (Oregon) to Rockaway Beach (Queens). Mycle began his walk this past Saturday (9/15/18), a walk in which he's fundraising for the Wounded Warrior Project. “I’ve walked over 8000 miles so far and will reach 10,000 by the time I finish this walk.”
Despite his colossal achievements, Mycle has no plans on slowing down. His motivation stems from “the smiles on survivors’ and veterans’ faces when meeting them, as well as the opportunity to thank all the hospital personnel who save lives every day.”
Although his current journey has just begun, Mycle has big plans for the future. “If I can find a sponsor I plan to walk across Ireland, England, Europe, and Asia to Singapore to complete my walk around the world for America’s Wounded Warrior Project and the International Brain Injury Association of America as well as other International groups.” Keep up the great work Mycle!
Mycle has launched a GoFundMe page in an effort to fundraise while on his current journey. You can check it out at https://www.gofundme.com/mycles-miller-miles.
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