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Female Anchor: "Run, Forrest, run!" Do you remember when Forrest Gump just started running? He ran from coast to coast, getting hairier and hairier every day. Well, look out, Forrest, because 26-year old Jonathon Williams is just weeks away from his goal of running across country from Newport Beach, California to Newport, Rhode Island, and the man known as Willy, joins us from his latest stop, Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Good morning.
Jonathon Williams: Hey, how's it going?
Female Anchor: Oh , pretty good. How's it going with you?
Jonathon Williams: Yeah! That ain't bad. It's, you know, it's a beautiful morning out here in Pennsylvania, so it's ur, it's great.
Female Anchor: Now is it true that the movie Forrest Gump is what inspired you to set across the country on foot?
Jonathon Williams: That's right. I mean, you know, I saw that movie in high school, and I just kinda filmed over with the idea, it is kinda of amazing to me, it was an amazing display of just freedom and athleticism , and willpower that he can just kinda pick up and do that. So I just said to myself, "Man, that's some(thing ) that I wanna do someday."
Female Anchor: Alright, you set out on this journey three months ago, what is your average day like? How many miles are you running?
Jonathon Williams: Yeah, um, good question, I mean, basically I wake up sometime, you know, around six, between six and seven, I try to leave between eight and nine, I average about probably 30 miles a day. My longest day is uh 56, though actually. That was in Missouri somewhere. That was, that was a pretty killer.
Female Anchor: And are you running everyday, Willy?
Jonathon Williams: No, no, I'm not running every day. I am actually, I'll take days off, like when I get to a city sometimes, I'll take a day off, and I say my longest day, my longest stretch has been 9 days on and sometimes I'll take two days off here, a day off there, something like that.
Female Anchor: Now, tell, tell us about the baby stroller, that is part of your journey.
Jonathon Williams: Yeah, well, this is a great idea, actually I got this idea from two guys who did the cross- the-country-run from New Jersey to Oregon, David and Scott. And they used a baby jogger. So that's what I decide to use it as well. And basically it's got my tent in it, which is like right here, which is the yellow thin. I've got a spare tyre, my backpack. I got, you know, just a sleeping bag in there, a little blown mattress, it's kind of a stack of basically everything I need.
Female Anchor: Well, Willy, we wish you luck as you approach Newport Rhode Island, good luck to you. I am sure we are gonna check again with you at the finish line. Jonathon Willy Williams, thanks.
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