Man From Oklahoma Traveling The Country On Horseback For Incredible Cause

If you see someone on a few palomino paints headed south this month, chances are you've run into a man on a mission.  This Oklahoma man is challenging himself to travel from the Kansas-Oklahoma border all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. He's not just doing it for fun, but to bring more awareness to mental health.

Never Taking The Easy Way Out, Sean Herrin Hits The Road

35-year-old Sean Herren has suffered some real hardships in his life, starting at 2 years old. In an interview with CBS, Herren described his near-death experience in the earliest years of his life. "I was electrocuted by three transformers, 8,333 volts, and damaged both my arms, one bad enough that needed to be amputated,” Herren said.

Herren's lifelong struggles started there, ranging from countless surgeries to severe psychological difficulties like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations. After coming too close to choosing to end things for himself, Herren found faith in God and decided to take this journey on the road.

He explained that this journey was about more than just getting to a destination. He said in another interview "I think it's the comforts of life that make us weaker." He continued, "I wanted to do something that involved more struggle."

Herrin's Journey, Where It's Started And How It's Going

Since leaving on Oct. 14, he has managed to travel through across Oklahoma in all of 28 days and is making headway through Texas as we speak. Just two days ago, Herren was 289 miles away from his final destination. On average, he's been making it around "nearly 20 miles a day, five days a week."

@sean.herren 249 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico #americasamputee #fyp #cowboy #mineolatx #travel #horses #riding #america #texas #gulfofmexico ♬ Days I Live For - Nickalus Linza

While Herren's on the road, people who see him and hear his story have let him stay overnight to rest. Several people have offered their homes, arenas, hayfields, backyards, and open arms to him when he's needed it. To Herren, the journey is even better than when he started because of all of the people he's met along the way.

@sean.herren Never alone when your in texas #fyp #americasamputee #albatx #texas #texans #horses #traveltiktok #riding #america ♬ Good Times Go By Too Fast - Dylan Scott

Mental Health Awareness in Oklahoma Needs More of A Voice

Oklahoma is one of the states that struggles with depression the most. In fact, Oklahoma's rate of depression was higher than the national average last year, according to kff.org. Many people struggle with depression and other mental health struggles in this state and Herrin's journey to the Gulf is helping bring more awareness to how badly people need to take care of it.

If you'd like to follow Herren's journey, he updates his TikTok frequently while on the road. That's more than likely where you'll see his big day when he reaches his goal.