An American Journey: What a BYU Grad Discovered on a 500-Day Walk Across the United States

Sitting in a humdrum office, recent BYU grad Isaiah G. Shields (BS ’19) realized that there was a whole world out there for him to discover—and he was missing it. And so he decided to take a walk—a really, really long walk. In early 2020 he stepped from his Provo home’s driveway and began his journey across America, traversing 28 states and 8,600 miles over 500 days. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, Shields joins host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA’ 01) to share stories that he’ll remember forever from his trek. Listen in for Shield’s experiences braving the elements, sharing powerful moments with ordinary people, and feeling the satisfaction of challenge.  

This episode is based in the article “Getting His Steps In,” written Maya Lund (’24), which will appear in the spring 2024 issue of Y Magazine.

Watch here to tag along on Isaiah Shields’s most recent adventures.

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