Veteran bikes across America for suicide prevention, awareness

CEDAR PARK, Texas - It's a mission of hope.

One man is biking across America in hopes of showing people that if he can get through his struggles, anyone can. Texas is the 37th state he’s been to so far.

“When he first came in, I just thought he was somebody local that just need a little bit of bike repair,” said Scott Larson with The Peddler Bike shop.
    
Larson fixes bikes in Cedar Park and says he met a lot of cyclists, but no one like Daniel Hurd.

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“As we learned his story, it became more and more fascinating,” said Larson.

Two years ago, Daniel Hurd decided to bike across America.

“I didn't think this was my purpose in life. You could have told me two and a half years ago that I was going to bicycle America or own a nonprofit, I would have laughed in your face,” said Hurd.

He says he does it for a cause, one that hits close to home.

“It started in July of 2017. A friend got me on a bicycle after my third suicide attempt and I was already planning a 4th. That bike ride was a ride my friend tried to do for many years,” he said.

Hurd is biking for suicide prevention and awareness. He says he has biked 14,000 miles through 37 states and has helped over 50 people through the journey.

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“I was about three months into it when I realized I was doing exactly what supposed to do. Before that, it was a whim thing and hope it would help me out and hope it would make my life better. I’m thankful that it did,” said Hurd.

He says it hasn’t been an easy journey, but that hasn’t stopped him.

“It's important not to lose faith in whatever aspect you want it to be. In faith, in yourself, faith in humanity, or faith in a higher power. It's important to continue to have faith in yourself even in those toughest moments,” said Hurd.

Hurd says at first he did this for himself, but now he does it to help others.

“He's a very generous, giving person and he's on a mission to build awareness,” said Larson.

Hurd will continue until he has biked through 48 of the 50 states.

“It's definitely a lot of determination. Again, it's those people that have told me they want to survive and that they want to keep going that makes me motivated to find people and keep going to potentially find more people to help. That's why I keep doing this, one pedal at a time,” said Hurd.

You can help support Hurd's journey by clicking here. 

Anyone needing support can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.