E-mails

Hello Roy,

Hope your golf game this morning was a good one. My husband and I beeped at you when we were on our way to work. I told him about meeting you. I don't mind if you take my picture but I would rather it not be first thing in the morning when I have no make-up on and my hair is a mess. Does that sound silly? Since I've lost this weight my appearance matters to me. Before then I would not even try to fix my hair! I looked 10 years older than what I look now.

I will let my family in South Wales and all my co-workers know about your website so they can read about it. I will also tell my Weight
Watchers class about it and let them read your stories. I haven't had a chance to read all of the stories yet but I will. My son graduates from high school tomorrow morning and this weekend will be really busy. Hopefully, I will have some family coming in town to go to graduation. Well, I've got to get back to work. I will be seeing you on the golf course!

Your Friend,

Wow, how nice and what a nice story. 100 pounds in eleven months!!! You and your family should be very proud. Very inspirational. Watch for an article – pictures too, I hope – in the walking journal later. Yeah, tell everybody in South Wales hello…

You gave me a chuckle from reading your e-mail. Why you say? Well, not that it was particularly funny, but that it is YOU!!!! The planner and perfectionist that you are, golf will be the biggest physical challenge in your life. Once you get to a point physically, then the mental side hits you. Just mark my words. You will see soon enough.

Roy, great to here from you. Not great to see the Ironman conflict. I checked the website often throughout the summer and didn't see any recent updates, nice to see it up and walking again. I doubt you'll make Phoenix by November the 12th. At the Cardinals, Cowboys game, they are going to put Pat Tillman’s jersey on the Wall of Fame. I'll tell everyone at work tomorrow to log in. I wish you well,

________________________________________

Roy,

Congratulations and best wishes on getting started (and now, getting back too it following the spider bite). You will be in our thoughts and prayers constantly. Your encouragement and inspiration are incredible. You are a fine example of the saying, "You are only as old as you feel." Keep it up and keep us posted.

Next time in Memphis and at the VA, stop by and say "Hi". Sorry I missed you on this latest visit.

Honored to call you friend,

Michael White, OD

VAMC Memphis

Roy,

I stopped along highway 231 south of Dothan, Alabama and spoke with you. A cold spell was coming in, hope you found the motel. I told the crew at work about you. I gave you my Pat Tillman wrist band and we spoke of Pat. Hope you make it to Arizona for Pat's walk in April. I'm going to Birmingham next weekend for the Schwans banquet, if we see you on the way we'll stop and visit. May God bless you and all those you inspire.

Bob Lewis

_____________________________________________

Roy

My sweet daughter-in-law, Kathy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer as of Tuesday of this week and she is at the surgeon's now for advice and will go to another one tomorrow. Please pray for her and Steve as he needs to be strong for her. We are all devastated as you can well imagine.

(Scottye, I will pray for her every day and of course, she (and Steve) will join those at the top of my walking list. Love y'all, Roy.)

I read your web page and found it very touching. You are definitely a strong, strong person, mentally and physically. It is my pleasure to have spoken with you and to have helped you with any problems. Please call or email me if you ever need any assistance with anything.

I've been following your progress every day since I saw your story earlier this week in my O and P update. Like you, I'm a left BK. I have an Alpha liner w/a pin lock and a College Park foot. The best I've ever had! I'd like to hear how your Otto Bock foot and suspension holds up. I'd also like to hear which is your favorite liner. I'd be interested how you would deal with any sores if you get any.

I'm a 14+ years younger and maybe 130+ lbs or more lighter! As an amputee for the 44 years, I've done it all, except what you're doing!

Roy, it's me now, Michelle. I get to work everyday and check my e-mail wondering if I will have a new message from you about the day before. I hate that things are tough but as the old saying goes nothing worth having comes easy. I just want to say that I am so proud of you. When you first started talking about doing this I didn't give it much thought because I figured it was just talk. But now I see just how important this is to you and I wish I had been more supportive and shown more interest. What you are doing is amazing and I wish you the best of luck. I read the article you sent earlier and am particularly distressed that no one is showing an interest in sponsoring you. I am not sure how to go about sponsoring you for this but I want to make you this pledge now. If you finish your walk I will give $500 to the American Cancer Society. If for whatever reason you are unable to complete the walk I will give $250 for the effort. It isn't much in the big scheme of things but I figure any amount will be appreciated. I think about Papa and wonder why I haven't done it sooner. Anyway, know that you are in my prayers and I wish you the best of luck. Stay safe and keep your spirits up,...that is the only way you will be able to complete this awesome undertaking.

All our love,

Michelle and Nike

(Thank you Michelle. You, and others like you, are the reasons I'm walking. Some estimates have pledges as high as several million dollars for the "Roy Dye Walkathon" Expedition. Donated of course directly to organizations of choice.)

From: Chris Walters
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:11:44 -0500
To: Roy Dye
Subject: Good Luck

Dear Sir,

I am 25 years old and live in Wellborn, Fl. (You passed this town on your
way from Lake City towards Live Oak headed west.) I saw you yesterday, then
once again today. I went to your website and read about what you are doing.
It is AWESOME!!!. I wish I could only give you encouraging words for the
challenge you have started. However, I cannot come up with anything that
could compare. I wish the best for you and hope you are successful.

Chris Walters

(Chris, how encouraging. Thank you. It must run in the town. While there, a retired Baptist preacher, Reverend Louis Berry, stopped and talked also. He is from the big pink church on the right side of the road west of town. Please stop in and talk to him. He is one of the best people you will ever meet in Wellborn, Florida. Tell him I sent you. Again thanks. Roy Dye.)

Fred Dixon wrote:

Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 01:54:08 -0600
From: Fred Dixon
To: bsatroop7
Subject: Roy Dye Walkathon

Fellow Scouters,

My name is Fred Dixon Scoutmaster of Troop 338 in Cordova Tennessee. The reason I am contacting you is that on Friday January 6 my father-in-law, Roy Dye set out from Jacksonville on an expedition to walk across the United States. Mr. Dye is 68 years old and has one artificial leg. I am trying to contact some Troops along his route that may be able to lend some support, whether it be walking along with him for a while, camping with him or making a meal with him. If you have any other contacts I could make I would appreciate your help.

Thank you in advance,

Fred Dixon
Troop 338

---- Dana Evans wrote:

Hi Roy!

We are the staff of Hanger Prosthetics in Beaumont, TX. We are very
excited about your trip. We would love to assist you any way that we can.
Please contact our office at 800-777-7893. We are on I-10 and hope to see
you through your trip!

Dana Evans, CP
Practice Manager
Hanger P&O
3395 Plaza 10
Suite D
Beaumont, TX 77707
______________________________________________

I am a resident of Birmingham, AL and my brother....trucker James (Daddy Rabbit), told me about your website and asked me to drop you a line on his behalf. Apparently he and your brother, Jerry, are big buddies. I am very impressed with your mission and wish you the very best. I had a son who died of muscular dystrophy about 12 years ago, so I am familiar with the issues a handicapped person has to face on a daily basis and the importance of making the most of what you have and to be thankful for each day. God bless you in your endeavor and my brother and I wish you great success!

Wow, how nice... I am finding more and more folks that wear "White Hats" so to speak. The world is really much better than portrayed by the media.

Roy....I was surprised to actually hear from you! If I had known you wanted to use my email I would have tried to jazz it up a little! Seriously, you are more than welcome to add my email to your website. I think it is sad that the media tends to sensationalize the negativity in our world and not give enough credit to the heartwarming, everyday goodness of people. A positive attitude can accomplish so much more than one who greets each day already defeated....how great that morning newspaper would be if it were only filled with more great stories such as yours to at least balance what we read now!

Hang in there!!! There are many of us who delight in each mile you put behind you and congratulate you on all that you have already accomplished.

Roy I will call you tomorrow. I want to know everything that is going on with you.

Roy, yes we understand why you walk. Thank you for sharing with us this letter.

We will talk with you soon. We admire you and will get back to you.

We love you and respect you.

Jan & Scottye

I just visited your web site, WOW! We are thinking about you and wondering how you're doing? Last we heard from you was in August and you were still in preparation for the walk.

You're ______ right you can do it! If you can walk a few hours a day, you can walk East! West across the USA. And if one leg is made of Iron then you only need to worry about the other, ha ha! Sounds to me like you are made of the right stuff, also sounds like you're already on the go! This was one of my original goals before things grew into the Goliath Expedition. I remember, years before I left the UK, planning my trip across North America. I had planned to start in New York head out across the Eastern plains down to Memphis, across the Mississippi, on to Flag Staff, Arizona and down into California. And I remember the point where I crossed that path as I headed north instead of west, trying to imagine how it would have been, it was night and not how I had imagined it would be. However mid summer is just not the time to be walking in this area, try planning to reach the West and Mid West in late autumn or early spring, temperatures in the high 40s/ 50s (c) are truly no fun, in fact they're downright evil. It will be a fantastic trip and the people will look after you just fine.

As for equipment I believe the best option is one of those three wheel baby buggies turned into something that can carry equipment. A two wheeled chart or buggy means we have to carry some of that weight and it makes a big difference over long distances. Something we might not appreciate over just a day or two. As you know two wheels means a balance problem, and yes I found pushing makes a difference. Just take it at your own pace, take it -

easy and enjoy. Choose a route that gives you plenty of contact with locals. Try to avoid long unpopulated routes in the outback, select legs from one town or village to the next. My route through the US avoided large cities, I never felt at home in big cities, I found them problematic. But I don't think it will be the same for you. The main freeways are the best roads I've ever used. Even around cities, the roads may be very busy, but you have plenty of room either side and no matter how busy it got it never seemed to bother me. Not the same on smaller back roads where close shaves with the traffic were common. Just remember some states, like Arizona, don't let people walk on freeways. However you can get special permission if you ask nicely and explain your case.

I'd like to thank you for your interest in the expedition, it's good to hear from you and I'm glad there are people out there like yourself willing to get out and do it. Let me know how it's going and I will tune in to your web site to check up on you.

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TRY, WHETHER YOU SUCCEED OR NOT IS NOT REALLY IMPORTANT. LIFE IS A JOURNEY - YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.

I THINK YOU SHOULD TRY USING A THREE WHEEL BABY JOGGER LIKE MINE. I THINK IT WOULD GIVE YOU BETTER SUPPORT, YOU CAN LEAN ON THE HANDLEBARS AND SINCE IT IS THREE WHEELED IT SUPPORTS ITSELF.

YOUR CART LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TRANSFER A LOT OF WEIGHT AND FORCE TO YOUR WAIST. I TRIED A CART LIKE YOURS AND DID NOT LIKE IT AT ALL. YOU ARE CONNECTED TO IT, AND CAN NOT JUMP OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY IF A CAR SWERVES AT YOU, DOG ATTACKS, ETC. I GOT MINE USED FOR $100, NEW FROM WWW.BERGDESIGN.NET. http://www.bergdesign.net/runabout.htm THEY ARE MORE COSTLY, BUT WORTH IT, VERY STRONG.

GO FOR IT, YOU WILL HAVE FUN, SOMETIMES RUN INTO PROBLEMS, WEATHER, SOME BAD COPS, HOT DAYS, ETC. BUT YOU WILL MEET A LOT OF NICE PEOPLE, SEE SOME GREAT SITES, EAT SOME GREAT FREE

HOME COOKED MEALS. LIFE IS AMAZING, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND LIVE IT, NOT SIT AROUND HOME WORRYING ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

GO FOR IT AND HAVE FUN ONE DAY AT A TIME AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU WILL BE IN NEW YORK.

PS, I AM FLYING DOWN TO COLUMBIA NOV 16TH TO WALK ACROSS COLUMBIA, ECUADOR AND PERU THIS WINTER. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME WITH MORE QUESTIONS.

Contact Information

Send mail to roydye@roydye.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003 Roy Dye
Last modified: 10/26/08

Contact Information

Send mail to roydye@roydye.org with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2003 Roy Dye Last modified: 10/26/08

Send mail to roydye@roydye.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003 Roy Dye
Last modified: 10/26/08