WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — Jack Kadis is walking the outline of the United States, and his journey brought him through Wakulla County on Tuesday.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Kadis started in North Carolina and has walked over 1,000 miles along the outline of the country. His adventure has gone viral on social media.
When asked why he took on the challenge, Kadis said the answer was simple.
"I really wanted to do something very hard," Kadis said.
To get through the long, strenuous days, Kadis leans on a positive attitude and listening to his body.
"A positive attitude is probably be number one. You can always look back in the past and say, 'Hey, I did it then, I can do it now.' But, you know, it's getting hotter. We're coming into the peak months of summer. So it's a lot of positive attitude. And listening to your body," Kadis said.
He has also added push-ups to his routine along the way.
"I started doing push-ups because I was bored. A lot of the things that I do spawn out of boredom," Kadis said.
By the time Kadis and ABC 27's Serena Davanzo reached Panacea, her step tracker read 12,848 steps for the day, about 12,500 steps from her starting point that morning at Rocky's across from the high school.
FSU student Katie Osborne joined Kadis to walk with him from Tallahassee through Wakulla and Franklin Counties. She had been following his videos online since he reached the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
MEET THE FSU STUDENT WALKING WITH KADIS:
"I never, in the never thought this was gonna happen. I was just expecting to drop off some water and maybe some food, and be on my way and just turned into a lot more. Yeah, it was weird, like I seen him on my phone screen, and then all of a sudden he's in person now. That's very strange, but it's been really cool," Osborne said.
Osborne said she was excited to join Kadis on this leg of the trip, as she loves visiting Wakulla and Franklin counties.
Kadis says he has worn through 6 pairs of shoes so far on the journey.
He shared a message for anyone inspired by his story.
"You can do whatever you want to do. I think the hardest part is deciding what you want to do. So tackle the hardest parts first. You know, you really can. You got to believe in yourself," Kadis said.
As he headed west, Kadis also issued a challenge to viewers.
"I'd like to say hey to my mom, and I'd like to challenge everyone at home to do something just a little bit harder than you normally do today," Kadis said.
Kadis' adventure is expected to take roughly three years to complete when he makes it back to North Carolina.
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