Mycle Brandy, a 60-year-old stroke survivor, passed through Davis Sunday on his “Walking Across America” mission to raise awareness about strokes. Brandy is currently traveling from San Diego to Seattle, WA for organizations such as the National Stroke Association.
After his first walk from Newport Beach, California to Washington, D.C., he received a letter from President Barack Obama congratulating him on finishing his journey.
He began his current trip on July 17 and walks about 20 miles a day. He was hoping to finish on Nov. 11, but because of financial setbacks, he expects to finish on Nov. 22. He said he has been invited to walk across Africa and is considering doing a walk along the eastern U.S.
Brandy has suffered four strokes, with the most major one occurring in 1997, leaving him in a wheelchair for a year and a half. He was also formally a singer and after his first stroke, he lost 80 percent of his hearing. He said he still sings, but it’s much more difficult.
“My message has always been the same,” Brandy said. “When I was younger I thought strokes were an old person’s disease, but it isn’t. I have a friend whose son had a stroke in the womb and people in their 20s and 30s who have as well.
“It’s important to remember you are not invulnerable and should stay in shape,” he said.
— Angela Swartz
Thank you so much Angela for the kind words and article about my walk. I’m hoping to inspire all stroke survivors to keep up with their recovery exercises. They can find me on Facebook or my website at http://www.walkingacrossamerica.org