Walker halfway across country on trip that becomes profitable

San Diego Union - Tribune ^ | 10/1/05 | J. Harry Jones

[NormsRevenge]

When Steve Vaught began walking across the United States he had two simple, yet difficult goals.

He wanted to lose a lot of weight and he wanted to come to grips with his life.

Now slowly approaching Oklahoma City, the geographical halfway point of his journey, Vaught, 40, has lost about 55 pounds from his 6-foot-1-inch frame, down from 400.

He also has figured out how to deal with the problems that led to his weight gain and depression and long history of job changes.

"I found out who I was before I hit Barstow," he said. "Now I'm just out here having a great ol' time."

His newfound philosophy: It's not what you eat but how you eat; and "if you want to be happy you've got to get happy inside your skull."

Moreover, his trip has turned profitable.

Vaught, who lives in Valley Center, said he has signed a book deal that guarantees his financial troubles are a thing of the past.

A television series is in the works. Everywhere he goes now is being taped by a documentary crew that hopes to create a show with eight to 16 episodes.

"I never did this for money," Vaught said recently over breakfast in Tucumcari, N.M. "But everyone else is going to make a million off this. Why shouldn't I? The line I've been using is, 'I quit my job and got the biggest pay raise of my life.' "

Faster pace

The first few months of the journey, which began April 10 in Oceanside, were arduous. He carried a 50-pound backpack that increased to almost 80 pounds with the water he needed trekking through the deserts of California and Arizona. A knee injury and painful blisters limited his progress to as little as four or five miles a day. He slept usually in fields or behind buildings and was frequently mistaken as a bum. He would often call his wife, April, saying he was thinking of quitting.

Now things have gotten much easier physically – not that walking across the United States is easy.

The video crew shadows him at all times, which means most of his supplies are carried in a car. While he still camps occasionally, he said, most of his nights are now spent in hotels he is driven to by the video crew, which the next day takes him back to where he left off on his journey.

His pace increased dramatically through New Mexico, where he covered 20 to 25 miles many days. But recently he has slowed again. He has been in the 177-mile-wide Texas panhandle, approaching the Oklahoma border, for three weeks. He is struggling emotionally and gained back several pounds, said Pierre Bagley, who is producing the documentary.

Vaught has become secretive about his location to avoid reporters as well as a never-ending string of business types who want him to sponsor products.

"They all want me to say the same thing: 'I'm walking across the country and I couldn't to it without this bottle of such and such,' or whatever," he said. " . . . I'm not going to become a mascot."

He is looking forward to reaching Oklahoma City, he said, and expects to cover the second half of his walk in much less time. On the road now for 5½ months, Vaught hopes to get to New York by year's end.

For a few weeks, Vaught listened to music on an Ipod, but it was stolen when he was in a library in Gallup, N.M.

"One of my greatest times was dancing down Route 66 while listening to (George Clinton and) The Funkadelics' 'One Nation under a Groove,' " he said.

A sampling of the lyrics: "Feet don't fail me now . . . One nation and we're on the move. . . . Nothin' can stop us now."

More attention

Vaught has become even more of a celebrity. His Web site, thefatmanwalking.com, has at times generated more Internet traffic than some newspaper Web sites. Thousands of people have sent him e-mails or commented in the site's guest book. Bagley, the producer, has become Vaught's "de facto agent."

"I now understand the phrase 'have your people call my people,' " Vaught said. "I could never get anything accomplished if I had to deal with everything."

On May 3, the first of what has become a series of stories about Vaught was published in The San Diego Union-Tribune. That morning, David Mollering, a graphic artist at the newspaper and a film director, called his friend Bagley – both are Point Loma residents who met while walking their dogs – and said they had to do a film about Vaught. That afternoon, Mollering tracked down Vaught in Riverside County.

Bagley, who owns First Tuesday Productions of San Diego and Dallas, facilitated the book deal and committed to making the documentary.

Other media picked up Vaught's story. His trek has been written about in newspapers all over the world. Vaught has appeared on NBC's "Today" show twice and is scheduled to appear on "Oprah" soon, he said.

With his celebrity, Vaught also seems to become easily offended. He bristles at anything he considers negative coverage. A newspaper photo of him eating a dinner that included a plate of chicken fried steak outraged him.

The Web site's guest book is filled with overwhelmingly supportive comments, but there are also some detractors. One woman said she secretly followed Vaught through New Mexico and into Texas in hopes of catching him accepting rides.

At one moment, Vaught dismisses such critics.

"Am I that powerful a human being that I can inspire them to make morons of themselves?" he asked.

Other times he feels compelled to respond. When he's resting during the day or at night, he scans the guest book with a laptop computer.

On the Web site, Vaught addressed the naysayers in his journal entry dated Sept. 25:

"I am walking across the U.S. under my own terms and by my own methods. How and where I decide to go is my prerogative and is not up for review. . . . I will decide the method, the level of commitment and the manner in which I will carry the task out."

Negative comments on the Web site are now quickly deleted.

Temptations abound Vaught says he will complete the journey because he has little choice. If he gets to New York by year's end, great. If not, so what?

"There have been days when I have far exceeded my expectations and days when I can't make myself get out of the Dairy Queen," he said.

"If all the attention goes away, I'll still keep walking. This is still all about me."

Sometimes, when he is sitting by the side of the road, motorists will pull up and ask if he wants a ride, he said.

"And there's a delay," before he responds, he admitted.

"The temptation is definitely there to fail. But if I fail, I fail myself and I fail (8-year-old daughter) Melanie and I fail (3-year-old son) Marcus.

"My kids are so proud of me they're bursting. I would never let somebody disappoint my family like that. I'm certainly not going to."

And what happens after New York?

"What am I going to be when I grow up? I have not a clue what I'm going to do. But I'm not going to go back to the old ways. I'm not going to have a job that's sucks the life out of me. No more jobs of aggression."

His new credo: "You guys fight about the next Mercedes and keeping your credit rating up. My thing is moments like this, finding a beautiful spot and looking around."

He said one of the first things he will do is get a motor home, and traverse his route backward with his family. He wants to visit many of the supporters he's come across.

"I've met so many great people. I'm like a national friend.

"I'll experience it with my family without all the drama of the injuries and the 'woe is me days.' "

[NormsRevenge]

EDUARDO CONTRERAS / Union-Tribune

Steve Vaught camps out on occasion, but stays in hotels more often these days.

---

Walking off the fat

Steve Vaught of Valley Center began walking across the United States on April 10. When he left Oceanside bound for New York City, he weighed about 400 pounds. Overweight and depressed, Vaught, 40, says he took the drastic action because he was afraid he would die before his young children became adults if he didn't change his life and lose weight. He has since become a worldwide media darling. Stories of his journey have been told all over the world.

Current weight: 345

[NormsRevenge]

Heads Up, Teaxs and Oklahoma drivers.

Coming through,, FatMan!!!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

"if you want to be happy you've got to get happy inside your skull."

That is the only way to do it.

[Boazo]

Way to go Steve.

[Riley]

This is a cool story. I did a smaller scale but similar webpage when I drove across the country, for my family and friends. I took in the sights and wrote it up every night from a motel and uploaded it. It was a blast!

I wish him well. It's a lot of work, but it looks like fun.

[digitalbrownshirt]

More power to him. I noticed his story early on because of the Valley Center connection. My parents live there. I might have to run out there and say hello when he gets to OKC.

[NormsRevenge]

Yup. Go for it.

I admire his fortitude just getting to this point and not giving up. I'm sure he would appreciate the encouragement.

[Last Dakotan]

My advice is to get through North Dakota before February. /sarc

[Wally_Kalbacken]

At this rate he should be a svelte 290 by the time he's done.

[JRios1968]

"I found out who I was before I hit Barstow," he said.

IMHO, he could have done that before leaving the house, by looking in a mirror...

Heads Up, Teaxs and Oklahoma drivers.

Coming through,, FatMan!!!

I wonder if he has one of those "Wide Load" banners on his pants...

[dc-zoo]

Damn.. that gut of his is a prize winner. I sure can appreciate his desire to lose weight though after losing 30 pounds since early this year changing the way I eat and what and how much I eat. Down from 232 to 202. My goal is 170 and I will get there.