Among the many good things about my line of work is that—- every now and then—- I get to meet some truly inspirational people.

Steve Fugate is one of them.

Fugate will apologize to you for his “trail smell.”

He has one of those tan’s you envy.

Not the kind of tan from sitting around at the beach or the pool all day.

It’s one of those tans that comes with many days of toil out on the summer heat.

Fugate has walked across the entire country five times.

He’s working on his sixth.

I didn’t ask him, but I’d imagine what he was about to accomplish in 1999 was near the top of his bucket list.

He was three-quarters of the way to finishing the Appalachian Trail.

He made a deal with his 26-year-old son that he’d hike the trail to finish the millennium, then his son would hike it the following year to begin the new one.

In Pennsylvania Fugate got a call that his son had taken his own life.

Nine months later, Fugate told me he finished the trail in Maine, “crying and screaming” all the way.

That was wear it started.

Since then Fugate has walked cross country, more than 27,000 miles, with the sign “love life” in bold, red letters on his back.

I’m far from the first reporter to interview during this.

In 2005, he lost his daughter to an accidental overdose.

His mission now is simple—- explain to young people, all that will listen, that suicide is not the route they want to take.

He calls himself “the opposite end” to suicide’s spectrum.

Fugate told me he wants young people to look at him walking down the road, calling himself a “bozo,” and realize, if he can love life, they can too.

After all, Fugate will be the first to tell you, loving life is sometimes hard.

He’s done something I can’t imagine—- bury both of his children.

With a smile and a handshake following our interview, he headed on Route 460/11 toward Salem.

Each step closer to 28,000 miles.

Occasionally you’ll see him wave to a passing driver or hear someone blow their horn in agreement with Fugate’s sign.

He’s one of those people where—- you feel better getting to meet him—- even if it’s only for a three or four minute interview.

You can link to Fugate’s website from this page.