Guardian One Mile Challenge

The Guardian One Mile challenge is a 31-day virtual walking designed to raise funds and awareness to reduce veteran and first responder suicide rates in the United States. 

The Guardian Revival One Mile Challenge is about honoring & memorializing 31 guardians we’ve lost to suicide and raising money to reduce the rates of suicide among our guardian populations. Over the course of the one month challenge, you’ll walk 31 total miles: 1 mile each day of October.

This is a virtual challenge that operates on the honor system. Participants walk wherever they are and interact with the challenge online, self-reporting their daily mile.

We offer four entry divisions to participate in the challenge, each requiring a specific amount of weight to carry during your one-mile walk, every day during the month of October — in honor of 31 guardians who we've lost to suicide. (The Champion level starts at 0 lbs, so it’s 100% fine to participate without carrying any weight!)

Registration & Entry

Registration will take place during suicide awareness month, from the 1st to the 30th of September. Participants must sign up by 11:59 PM on September 30th. Registration will close at midnight. No exceptions.

The challenge begins at 12:00 AM on October 1st and ends at 12:00 AM on November 1st.

100% of the profit from your entry fee (not the processing fee) will go directly to support our programs at Guardian Revival.

Why We Walk

Mental illness is disproportionately high among our nation’s guardians compared to the general population. With mental health stigmas and other barriers to seeking out help, our guardians often sweep their traumatic experiences under the rug, put their uniform back on and return to duty, continuing to serve our nation both domestically & abroad.

Stigmas related to mental health treatment among guardians make it even more difficult to address this problem and stem largely from their self-reliant, tough-it-out culture that marginalizes those experiencing distress, ultimately dissuading individuals from seeking treatment.

Our programs at Guardian Revival are designed to help veterans & first responders struggling with trauma & mental health challenges, with a focus on suicide prevention. All our programs are offered at no cost to our guardians. 

The Guardian One Mile Challenge is also an opportunity for participants to unplug from technology for a period of time each day to carry out their one-mile walk, and to improve the physical & mental health of participants. Physical activity is proven to improve mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, and decrease depression. We hope that participating in this challenge will lead participants to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and more regular exercise.