A marathon is the longest distance most people will ever run, but for local  mental health counselor and former college football player Devon Edwards — it's just the starting point.

On May 14, Edwards and his fiancée, Amanda Taron, set out on a journey to spread awareness about mental health across the nation, starting in Boston, Massachusetts, and ending in Newport, Oregon. The couple passed through Idaho Falls earlier this month on their way to the final destination, which Edwards estimates they'll reach around Oct. 20.

For Edwards, sports used to be his life. He grew up in Albany, New York, was introduced to athletics at a young age, and was eventually recruited to play football for the University at Albany Great Danes. He had his future figured out — until an injury ended his football career.

"That started my mental health journey and my spiritual journey," Edwards said. "Physical therapy started being something I looked forward to — not just for strengthening my body, but also for strengthening my mind and helping me build resilience."

During his rehab, Edwards began thinking seriously about what he wanted to do with his life, and his passion for mental health only grew stronger. He went on to earn a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Naropa University, and today he runs a holistic practice based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in sports performance, teen and adolescent counseling, and men's mental health.

His mission: to tell the world that athletes' and teens' mental health matters and shouldn't be overlooked.

"Often their mental health can be overlooked," Edwards said. "They can be looked at more in terms of what they're doing — their achievements, their accolades, their grades, how good they are in sport, what they're going to study in college — rather than how they're feeling."

That's part of what drove Edwards to begin this 3,300-mile journey across the country, following Route 20 — one of the only roads in the nation that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

Edwards runs 45 to 50 miles across three days a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — then sees clients Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He and Taron reserve Sundays for rest and a bit of exploring.

The journey has taken a physical toll, with Edwards running through extremes of heat and cold. But it's also been rewarding — a chance to spread the word by doing something that isn't the easy way out.

"I'm hoping that this run can show some people what is possible when you put your mind, body and spirit to something, even if it's scary, even if it seems far-fetched," Edwards said. "Hopefully people feel inspired to do something that makes them come alive."

Along the way, Edwards and Taron have visited family, caught a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, and seen Niagara Falls — making the most of their time together before their wedding next year.

The couple has traveled in a trailer, with Taron handling much of the trip's logistics.

"She deals with booking many of the places we're going to stay, cooking a lot of the food. She does a lot of things for the trailer. She fills the gas. She gets the groceries. She's been very supportive and crucial for this trip," Edwards said. "I just want to make sure that she gets recognized for everything that she's done to make this possible."

Edwards has also partnered with a Florida-based nonprofit, To Write Love on Her Arms, donating a portion of his earnings to their cause.

"The money that we raise — we have a few different links and funds, but some of the money that we raise goes directly toward providing mental health resources and counseling sessions," he said.

For Edwards, the blood, sweat and tears behind this journey — the hours of running, the physical toll — aren't for personal gain. They're for a cause bigger than himself, and for making a difference in people's lives.

Throughout his life, Edwards was the athlete everyone assumed had it all together. But inside, it was different — he felt the pressure, and he struggled with his mental health just like so many others. Now, he's the one trying to make a difference for people going through the same thing.

"Hopefully they can find mental health counseling or resources. I didn't have that at that time," Edwards said. "I didn't even know it existed, to be honest, but I feel like that's very important, and it helps people feel seen, and that's probably the most important part of my job — just helping people know that they matter and that they're important and that someone sees them. So I think just sharing that feels good as well."

Donations toward this cause can be made through Edwards' Instagram, @Project.RAAM, or directly through the To Write Love on Her Arms website.