Runner on mental health quest stops in the Sault

SAULT STE. MARIE -

A man from Alberta running across Canada to bring awareness to mental health is at the halfway point of his journey. Skylar Roth-MacDonald made his way through Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, just over two months after leaving Victoria, B.C.

The mental health cause is a deeply personal one for Roth-MacDonald, who lost two of his friends to suicide.

"I've always wanted to do something to raise awareness so other families and friends don't have to go through that," says Roth-MacDonald. 

Going along for the trip is his friend Garret Pristie, who is responsible for planning the route and cooking the meals. He says the mental health cause is important to him as well.

"It's something that I think everybody deals with," says Pristie.

"It's stuff that I definitely dealt with in my life too. Just getting to see Sky and the awareness that he's bringing...was something I wanted to get involved with if at all possible because it affects all of us so much."

Being stalked by a mountain lion in B.C. was just one of the challenges Roth-MacDonald has faced up to this point. He says his own mental health struggles have posed some challenges too.

"I knew that those days would happen and my biggest motivation is knowing that there's people out there that also don't want to get out of bed for mental health reasons," says Roth-MacDonald.

"My biggest thing is wanting to show that just taking that couple of steps can actually really change your day."

Pristie says the RV he's been driving behind his friend has posed the biggest challenge for him.

"It's 34-feet and I drive a Chevy Sonic back home so I think every day is definitely something," says Pristie. 

Roth-MacDonald is hoping to raise $50,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association, and he's managed to raise close to $18,000 so far. Donations can be made at MilesForSmilesCanada.com