Holden Ringer encourages people to 'find their walk' as he makes cross-country journey

Holden Ringer was on an airplane getting ready to fly from Everett, Washington, to Dallas to visit his parents December 2021 over Christmas when he received a fateful text from his mom. She had COVID-19. This message eventually would lead him to making a unique journey.

Since Texas in December still is a relatively warm 80 degrees, and to make sure he avoided getting sick himself, Ringer often would take walks. One of these walks ended up being 20 miles around Dallas, and the kernel of an idea that was planted five months prior sprouted.

After more than a year of planning, Ringer set off on a walk March 8 from his home in La Push, Washington, at the Pacific Ocean. Except this time, he'd be going a bit further than 20 miles. He is taking an at least 3,000 mile walk from Washington state to Washington, D.C. and then some. There are a couple of extra end points, including in New York and Connecticut.

"I'll get to Washington, D.C., and I plan to finish at the Atlantic Ocean at Rockaway Beach, New York. That will be the group end," Ringer said.

The Dallas walk on the winter solstice Ringer said "was an experience that very much cemented the idea that this was something that I could do every single day."

His route has brought him to Missouri and specifically Columbia on Wednesday afternoon. He intended to depart after eating breakfast Friday morning.

Reasons why he is taking this major trek are slightly amorphous, or changeable, Ringer said. He still is raising awareness, though, about the benefits of walking while also raising funds for America Walks, a national nonprofit aimed at "(advancing) safe, equitable, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and move by giving people and communities the resources to effectively advocate for change," per the America Walks website.

"The idea originally came to me in May 2021 when I was studying for an international finance exam. I was staring out the window wishing I could be anywhere but there," Ringer said. "I looked up what it would be like to walk across the country.

"... This is a really great opportunity to see a different side of the country and learn to appreciate it and get a deeper appreciation for — where when you are sleeping in a tent most nights — a warm bed or a hot meal."

While he does not expect this will inspire others to take similar cross-country treks, Ringer does hope it inspires people to take neighborhood walks at the very least, or when out and about, make choices that mean it takes a little farther to walk from where a person parked.

"Walking can be a perspective opening experience," he said.

Empowering local pedestrian advocates

Ringer regularly posts updates on social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram and Reddit, as well as to the Walk 2 Washington website blog.

These are providing an outsider's insights to community walkability, not only for local organizations but also to hopefully empower local residents to be more active with pedestrian advocacy. A comment from Urban Hikes Kansas City on one of Ringer's Instagram updates notes they "really appreciate (his) thoughtful perspective. It helps us to reflect."

"I am never going to know the exact things that are happening in Columbia, but there are national trends on car dependency and pedestrian advocacy," Ringer said, adding ideas out there include changes to parking minimum mandates and more protected bike lanes.

This isn't stopping Ringer from meeting with local advocacy organizations, though, such as Local Motion in Columbia and its Missourians for Responsible Transportation Community Engagement Director Jackson Hotaling, and other organizations in St. Louis once he gets to that city.

"People are interested in talking with me and hearing about the journey," he said.

How Ringer is making the journey

One significant factor in Ringer's ability to even take the at least 3,000 mile trek is down to an inheritance received from one set of his grandparents from the East Coast. His other grandparents live in St. Joseph, where he also took some time to visit.

His final and personal stop on the journey is in New Haven, Connecticut, where his grandparents who died are buried, saying the stop there will be a "thank you" to them.

Before setting off earlier this year, he sold his vehicle and apartment furniture, among other items.

He also is supported through the generosity of others, which can be financially, sharing his story through social media, or hosting Ringer at their homes as he makes the journey.

Nearly all of Ringer's interactions with the public are positive and he has been most impressed with the generosity of Missourians. During his time in Kansas City, he never had to pay for a meal, for instance.

"When I was in Windsor, I was at the diner The Sidetrack Cafe on the Katy Trail for breakfast. The owner talked to me and asking about the journey," Ringer said, adding this led to the cafe covering the cost of his meal and providing some additional spending money. Others who overheard also provided cash. "I have definitely been the benefactor of a lot of generosity. It helps me get out of the cold, gets me a hotel and a hot meal. I am very appreciative of that."

While in Columbia, Ringer had a chance to sample Cafe Poland on Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday morning had not yet solidified if dinner was happening at Broadway Brewery or Addison's.

Cafe Poland owner Iwona Galijska "is just the sweetest lady and I hear she is a Columbia celebrity. She had family visiting and gave us free pierogis. That was really generous of her," Ringer said.

He also had a chance to tour the University of Missouri campus with his host, Matt Fetterly.

Ringer sticks to available trail systems when possible. When designing the general route, he knew he wanted to go places where he already knew people, had the ability to restock supplies (especially when in more sparsely populated areas where food availability might not be for 70 to 80 miles) and find trails or other active transportation routes.

"A lot of that is in the northeast like with converted rail trails," Ringer said.

Since it is going into the fall and winter months, he likely will have to head further south since by the time he would get to more northeastern states it will be winter. He is aware there are more pedestrian risks in Sunbelt states from Mississippi through North Carolina. There is no definitive route Ringer is taking because it changes depending on weather and other factors.

Ringer expects he will finish the entire walk sometime between March and possibly into May. That is dependent on how long he ends up staying in a community based on winter weather conditions.

"I'm trying to not take any more big breaks, but there are just a lot of things you just can't control," he said.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Cross-country walker Holden Ringer makes brief stop in Columbia