A man whose life has been heavily impacted by suicide among friends and peers is in the home stretch of his run across Canada which began in British Columbia four-and-a-half months ago.

Skylar Roth-MacDonald, a 24-year-old from Red Deer, had intended to run the 8000km from coast to coast in 150 days but he’s ahead of schedule as he treks across Newfoundland.

The run is to raise awareness of and support for mental health. Between seventh grade and graduation, eight kids that he knew of took their own life. Skylar has been at rock bottom in the toughest of times but has found his purpose – to help others.

He’s currently about halfway between Deer Lake and Grand Falls-Windsor on his way to St. John’s, averaging over 61 km/day. One of his objectives was to raise $50,000 for Canadian mental health, a goal which he has just surpassed.

He has gotten a lot of support from people from coast to coast, and some people have told him of their personal struggles. He adds that the provincial branches of the Canada Mental Health Association have been very supportive.