A Marine veteran who's on a mission to hike across the United States and set a world record is making stops in Jacksonville.
On Tuesday, TShane Johnson stopped at Naval Station Mayport talking about his mission to raise awareness to injured veterans. He plans to make a stop at NAS Jacksonville.
During his journey across America, Johnson gives motivational speeches at military bases as the founder of Hike Across America. He’s been trekking for four years.
“We need to understand that we are the ones that the civilian population look[s] up to...It’s our responsibility to not necessarily take, it’s to continue to give,” he said.
Johnson said he's covered about 7,000 miles across the country.
“I’m doing the fastest marathon carrying a 100-pound pack in less than six and a half hours," he said.
Johnson has to beat the current record at six hours, 27 minutes and 59 seconds.
The marathon is Dec. 1 and he’s racing in support of two larger goals: The first is to teach service members and veterans about leadership. The second is to continue to give back to the community after military service.
Johnson’s hike across America has already raised thousands of dollars in donations to the Gary Sinise Foundation supporting wounded veterans. The R.I.S.E. program builds smart homes, specifically built to cater to the needs of disabled veterans. He hopes to donate a total of $1 million.
His next stop will be NAS Jacksonville and will continue to hike south to Orlando, where the marathon takes place.