Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

A bunch of small steps for 2 men, a giant leap for U.S. soldiers

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published June 2, 2006

When they walk the streets of Seattle toting 45-pound backpacks Saturday, Chris Tapp and Adam Goodrich will be thousands of miles from their old haunts in Indian Rocks Beach but a few steps closer to an awesome personal achievement.

And when I say a few steps, I mean a few.

From the shadow of the Space Needle to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Tapp and Goodrich plan to spend the next five months walking across America. Accomplishing the unthinkable drives their desire; helping the underappreciated fuels their resolve.

They have partnered with Operation Troop Appreciation to highlight the efforts of the Pittsburgh nonprofit, which strives to provide wish-list items for military units overseas. Tapp and Goodrich hope to raise money and awareness for the organization.

"We have this great country we're living in, and it's a country where we're able to do something like this," Tapp said. "That's motivation enough."

The duo is seeking inspiration, but they would have never gotten to this point if inspiration hadn't found them. For years, they have lived what they call the Florida beach life. Chris, 27, has worked in landscaping and done some bartending. Adam, 24, works at the Best Western Sea Wake Resort in Clearwater. They met years ago while working at Kinko's, never realizing that when their paths crossed, they would end up creating a new path.

"The inspiration started with both of us talking about where we want to go and how we want to move forward," Tapp said. "There were thoughts of writing a book, or doing something else that involved personal achievement. The idea of walking across America just came out.

"Then we thought, let's do it for a charity, let's try to help someone out."

Initially, they planned to start from Key West. Given the summer heat, however, they realized starting in the Northwest and making their way east made more sense. The hope is to walk a minimum of 10 to 12 miles a day, and up to 30 miles on good days. They will rest at least one day a week and maybe take a couple of sick days, if necessary.

Tapp and Goodrich hope to maintain an ambitious schedule, and even though Best Western will set aside some free nights, the men would like spend 60 percent of the trip camping in tents.

Drivers on Gulf Boulevard may have spotted Tapp or Goodrich training. They have been walking with their backpacks when time allowed and eating right in anticipation of the physical challenge.

Despite all the preparations, they can't escape one inevitable question: Are they crazy?

"Yeah," Goodrich says. "It was his idea, so I don't know who is more crazy - him for coming up with it or me for following him."

The uncommon mission is already inspiring family and friends. Goodrich recently went home to his native Boston and was surprised that word of his upcoming trip had spread to so many people he knows.

"They were very supportive," Goodrich said. "They've been awesome, gung-ho. I've second-guessed myself 252 times, but going home and hearing everyone say they're going to be looking out for us really put everything into perspective.

"This is going to happen. Nothing is going to stop us now."

Clearly, it won't always be easy traversing the mountains just south of Yellowstone National Park and the hot plains of the Midwest. But when the going gets rough, Tapp and Goodrich say they will think of the men and women who have fought to make their trip possible.

"We came across a gentleman whose first tour in Iraq was seven months, and his second tour was 13 months,'' Tapp said. "Now that gentleman is back in the grind after serving a lot of time overseas. It's amazing to come across men and women who do this for us. We just want to help appreciate them."

Kristin Holloway certainly knows that sentiment. In March 2004, she set out on a personal project to provide under armor T-shirts to a local Pennsylvania National Guard platoon of 38 soldiers deployed in Iraq. The response was so unbelievable, Holloway was able to provide the shirts and other gifts to all 120 soldiers in the company.

By July of that year, she had formed Operation Troop Appreciation with the help of volunteers from the Katz Graduate School of Business, and the organization continues to help troops today.

"I think it's a tremendous show of support," Holloway said of Tapp and Goodrich. "If they have the energy and time, I think it's a phenomenal way to let people know we have 150,000 troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"They're going to let people know that they're not forgotten, and that there is a tangible way bring home that remembrance and support."

Tapp and Goodrich say they are willing to go the distance, even if the distance is more than 3,000 miles.

"I really hope people take the perspective of what we're doing, and what the those ladies and gentlemen are doing for us and what we take for granted in our everyday lives," Goodrich said.

Tapp and Goodrich hope to find a webmaster to create a site for tracking their travel. For now, they encourage people to learn more about Operation Troop Appreciation at www.operationtroopappreciation.org.

That's all I'm saying.

Ernest Hooper can be reached at 813 226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 2, 2006, 08:33:42]