by John Buhl
From the UFC to PRIDE, against fellow greats like Randy Couture, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, longtime MMA veteran Enson Inoue has seen it all when it comes to combat sports. Now the mixed martial arts pioneer is looking to give back by walking across Japan — literally — to raise money for a country still struggling to recover from the deadly tsunami and earthquake of 2011.
“The walk is for the people in North Japan that are still struggling every day, so I decided to use whatever I could in the walk to benefit the people,” Inoue said. “Because it’s no longer in the media, the people of the world have forgotten about how many Japanese people are still struggling, lacking the funds for basic necessities. Suicide is a big problem with the elderly that have been left homeless and feel they have no reason to continue living.”
Inoue’s walk will start on September 11 and cover approximately 1,360 miles, going through cities including Sapporo, Fukushima, Osaka, and Hiroshima. He expects the journey to take approximately three months. Those donating will pledge based on each mile of his walk, with the funds raised going toward food, clothing, gifts, and other items as part of an annual Christmas Day festival.
“A penny a mile will obligate you to only $13 when the walk is done,” Inoue said. “That’s enough to provide a family with water for a month or give them two weeks worth of rice.”
A 1,300 mile walk sounds difficult enough. But Inoue is going one step further, only using whatever food and water he can carry and sleeping outdoors, unless strangers along the way offer supplies or a place to sleep. Those challenging stipulations will help put Inoue in the shoes of those in Japan left unsure about how they’ll get by each day since the natural disaster hit the country.
“I know many of you think I’m crazy or feel that I may be taking on too much this time,” he said. “But I believe this will help these people and possibly save some lives! God has given me the opportunity to reach many people on social media, and I believe it would be best put to use by helping others.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, you can contact Enson at destinyforeverorders@gmail.com. You’ll also be able to get more information on Enson’s journey on his Facebook page.
