Skateboarder crosses nine states for suicide prevention  (index.html)  (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/skateboarder-crosses-nine-states-suicide-prevention/?outputType=amp)                               (../../../../../webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/favicon.ico@d=595&mxId=00000000)  (../../../../../webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/favicon-16x16.png@d=595&mxId=00000000)  (../../../../../webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/favicon-32x32.png@d=595&mxId=00000000)  (../../../../../webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/favicon-48x48.png@d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-167x167.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gray/arc-fusion-assets/images/favicons/wtva/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png?d=595&mxId=00000000)    (../../../../pf/dist/components/output-types/default.css@d=595&mxId=00000000.css)  (../../../../pf/dist/components/combinations/default.css@d=595&mxId=00000000.css)  (../../../../pf/resources/dist/__global/css/style.css@d=595&mxId=00000000.css)  (../../../../pf/resources/dist/wtva/css/main.css@d=595&mxId=00000000.css)  (../../../../../cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.7.2/css/all.min.css)     (index.html#main) Skip to content (https://www.wtva.com/)        (https://www.wtva.com/)     (https://www.wtva.com/livestream) Watch Live  (https://www.wtva.com/news) News  (https://www.wtva.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.wtva.com/sports) Sports  (https://www.wtva.com/video-gallery/news) Videos  (https://www.wtva.com/about-us/contact-us) Contact Us              (https://www.wtva.com/homepage) Homepage   (https://www.wtva.com/livestream/) Watch Live   (https://www.wtva.com/news) News   (https://www.wtva.com/content/news/local/) Local   (https://www.wtva.com/content/news/mississippi) Mississippi   (https://www.wtva.com/content/news/alabama/) Alabama   (https://www.wtva.com/content/news/national/) National      (https://www.wtva.com/weather) Weather   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/alerts) Alerts   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/radar) Radar   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/maproom) Forecast Maps   (https://www.wtva.com/page/list-of-local-storm-shelters/) Storm Shelters   (https://www.wtva.com/community/user-content/) Submit Weather Pictures/Videos   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/closings) Closings   (https://weathercallservices.com/wtva-nexgen) WeatherCall   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/cams) Cameras   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/junior-weather-authority) Junior Weather Authority   (https://www.wtva.com/weather/elijah-experiments) Elijah Experiments      (https://www.wtva.com/sports) Sports   (https://www.wtva.com/content/sports/high-school/) High School   (https://www.wtva.com/sports/friday-night-fever) Friday Night Fever   (https://www.wtva.com/sports/scoreboard/) Friday Night Fever Scores   (https://www.wtva.com/content/sports/college) College   (https://www.wtva.com/content/sports/national) National   (https://www.wtva.com/2026/05/14/wtva-air-several-atlanta-braves-games-throughout-regular-season/) Atlanta Braves on WTVA      (https://www.wtva.com/page/download-our-apps/) Download WTVA Apps   (https://www.wtva.com/newsletter/) Receive Email Alerts   (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/wtva/browse) Obituaries   (https://www.wtva.com/community) Community   (https://www.wtva.com/community/senior-fair) Senior Health Fair   (https://www.wtva.com/community/studio-9) Studio 9 with Tanya Carter   (https://www.wtva.com/2026/06/04/tickets-2026-tupelo-st-jude-dream-home-giveaway-go-sale-june-25/) Tupelo St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway   (https://www.wtva.com/video-gallery/community/johnny-stars) Johnny D. Talks to the Stars   (https://www.wtva.com/community/made-in-mississippi-americas-music) Mississippi Made: America’s Music   (https://www.wtva.com/community/ask-the-experts) Ask the Experts   (https://www.wtva.com/community/medical-minute) Medical Minute   (https://www.wtva.com/community/legally-speaking) Legally Speaking   (https://www.wtva.com/community/calendar) Community Calendar      (https://www.wtva.com/contests) Contests   (https://www.wtva.com/about-us/contact-us) Contact Us   (https://www.wtva.com/about-us/meet-the-team) Newsroom Bios   (https://www.wtva.com/page/advertise-with-us/) Advertise with WTVA   (https://graymedia.com/careers/#graymap) Job Openings   (https://www.wtva.com/page/wtva-noon-show-studio-9-interview-request/) Schedule Noon/Studio 9 Interview   (https://www.wtva.com/page/wtva-station-tours) Station Tours   (https://www.wtva.com/page/wtva-accepting-news-weather-and-sports-internships) Internships   (https://www.wtva.com/about-us) Station History      (https://www.wtva.com/programming/schedule) Programming Schedule   (https://www.wtva.com/page/nextgen) NextGen TV   (https://www.wtva.com/powernation) Powernation   (https://www.investigatetv.com/) InvestigateTV   (https://www.aginguntold.com/) Aging Untold   (https://www.wtva.com/watching-your-wallet) Watching Your Wallet   (https://www.localnewslive.com/news/national/) Local News Live   (https://graymedia.com/assets/pdf/Gray_AI_Policy.pdf) Gray AI Policy    (https://www.facebook.com/wtva9news)   (https://www.x.com/wtva9news)   (https://www.instagram.com/wtva9news)   (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZ3rWmXAfs4iZi-Hr2Ahgg)   (https://www.tiktok.com/@wtva9news)             Skateboarder crosses nine states for suicide prevention   (Skyler King skateboarded from Oxford, Miss., to New York in 43 days.)   Skyler King skateboarded from Oxford, Miss., to New York in 43 days. (Skyler King)    By (https://www.wtva.com/authors/michelle-martin/) Michelle Martin    Published: Sep. 30, 2026 at 4:13 PM EDT | Updated: 2 hours ago     Share     (https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.wtva.com)  Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google      OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) – A 1,200-mile journey from Oxford to the Big Apple has ended. Skyler King finished a 43-day skateboard journey from Oxford to New York City. King crossed nine states to raise awareness about suicide prevention. “I took one and a half rest days,” he said. “I should have taken more.” Started after brother’s death    King said he lost his brother, Justin, two years ago to suicide. He said he wanted to get people talking about mental health, and a skateboard trip across nine states was hard to miss. “They see a guy skating down the road, and they’re like, ‘What is this guy doing?’” King said. “They’re like, ‘What the heck, you’re crazy.’ But then doing something like that brings attention to it.” King described his brother as someone who often quoted movies. “Man, he was such a character. He’d always said quotes from movies that just kind of hit you,” King said.  Strangers along the route  King said strangers slowed down to check on him or opened their homes to him during the trip. He said that gave him a reason to talk about his brother, and he said almost every time, someone shared their own family’s struggles. “I cried a lot. It was pretty emotional, but I needed that,” King said. “Now I have made some lifelong friends in places I wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t done that.”   King rolled into New York City on day 43. He said reaching the city marked the end of the road, but the goal was getting people to listen along the way. “Check in on your friends, call your family, even small talk with strangers go a long way,” King said. “I think what’s important is to be there for one another. You never know what someone is going through.”  Copyright 2026 WTVA. All rights reserved.            Most Read   (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/17-year-old-accidentally-shot-killed/)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/17-year-old-accidentally-shot-killed/)   17-year-old accidentally shot, killed       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/death-investigation-underway-after-man-dies-woman-injured-verona-shooting/) (Deadly shooting in Verona, MS on Sept. 29, 2026.)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/death-investigation-underway-after-man-dies-woman-injured-verona-shooting/)   Man dead, woman wounded in Verona shooting       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/28/raided-oxford-store-was-where-ole-miss-student-purchased-kratom-before-death-records-show/) ((L-R) Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/28/raided-oxford-store-was-where-ole-miss-student-purchased-kratom-before-death-records-show/)   Raided Oxford store was where Ole Miss student purchased kratom before death, records show       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/joint-drug-bust-conducted-amory/) (Crash happened along Highway 95)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/joint-drug-bust-conducted-amory/)   Joint drug bust conducted in Amory       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/22-year-old-charged-with-child-porn-possession/) (Blakely Burkeen is charged with possession of child pornography by the Lafayette County...)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/22-year-old-charged-with-child-porn-possession/)   22-year-old charged with child porn possession       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/more-than-25000-bottles-blood-pressure-medication-recalled-heres-why/) (More than 25,000 bottles of blood pressure medication are under recall.)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/more-than-25000-bottles-blood-pressure-medication-recalled-heres-why/)   More than 25,000 bottles of blood pressure medication recalled. Here’s why       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/28/what-mississippi-hunters-need-know-about-new-deer-feeding-rule/) (The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks changed its supplemental feeding...)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/28/what-mississippi-hunters-need-know-about-new-deer-feeding-rule/)   What Mississippi hunters need to know about the new deer feeding rule       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/motorcyclist-killed-starkville-crash/) (Starkville Police Department in Starkville, Mississippi)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/motorcyclist-killed-starkville-crash/)   Motorcyclist killed in Starkville crash         Latest News   (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/arrests-made-after-seizure-fentanyl-money/) (The Union County Sheriff's Office said Luis Javier Diaz is charged with trafficking fentanyl,...)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/arrests-made-after-seizure-fentanyl-money/) Arrests made after seizure of fentanyl, money       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/volunteer-firefighters-sought-support-current-staff/) (The Saltillo Fire Department in Saltillo, Miss.)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/volunteer-firefighters-sought-support-current-staff/) Volunteer firefighters sought to support current staff       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/it-gave-me-my-life-back-advocates-condemn-misinformation-about-kratom-speak-ole-miss-student-deaths/) (Wednesday morning, the American Kratom Association held a press conference outside the...)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/it-gave-me-my-life-back-advocates-condemn-misinformation-about-kratom-speak-ole-miss-student-deaths/)   ‘It gave me my life back’: Advocates condemn misinformation about kratom, speak on Ole Miss student deaths       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/israel-says-pilot-stabbed-another-apparently-tried-crash-plane/) (Passengers who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, during a flight on FlyDubai...)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/israel-says-pilot-stabbed-another-apparently-tried-crash-plane/)   A pilot on a flight carrying Israelis stabbed another and apparently tried to crash, Netanyahu says       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/suspect-charged-tasia-fortunes-death-again-denied-bond-case-be-sent-grand-jury/) (Suspect charged in Tasia Fortune death denied bond; case sent to grand jury)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/suspect-charged-tasia-fortunes-death-again-denied-bond-case-be-sent-grand-jury/)   Defense questions timeline, witness testimony as Tasia Fortune murder case moves forward       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/interview-civic-ballets-16th-annual-tupelo-arts-showcase-set-sunday/) (The Civic Ballet will host its 16th annual Tupelo Arts Showcase this Sunday at Link Centre.)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/30/interview-civic-ballets-16th-annual-tupelo-arts-showcase-set-sunday/)   Interview: Civic Ballet’s 16th annual Tupelo Arts Showcase set for Sunday        (https://www.wtva.com/video/2026/09/30/interview-civic-ballets-16th-annual-tupelo-arts-showcase-set-sunday/) (The Civic Ballet will host its 16th annual Tupelo Arts Showcase this Sunday at Link Centre.)      (https://www.wtva.com/video/2026/09/30/interview-civic-ballets-16th-annual-tupelo-arts-showcase-set-sunday/) Interview: Civic Ballet's 16th annual Tupelo Arts Showcase set for Sunday       (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/tennessee-plans-execute-woman-murder-uts-campus-heres-what-we-know-about-victim/) (Slemmer was killed in 1995 by Christa Pike and Tadaryl Shipp)      (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/29/tennessee-plans-execute-woman-murder-uts-campus-heres-what-we-know-about-victim/)   Tennessee plans to execute a woman for a murder on UT’s campus. Here’s what we know about the victim                    (https://www.wtva.com/news) News  (https://www.wtva.com/about-us) Station History  (https://www.wtva.com/programming/schedule) Programming Schedule  (https://www.wtva.com/newsletter/) Receive Email Alerts  (https://www.wtva.com/news/national) National  (https://www.wtva.com/about-us/meet-the-team) Newsroom Bios  (https://www.wtva.com/news/aging-untold) Aging Untold  (https://www.wtva.com/community/user-content) User Content  (https://www.wtva.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.wtva.com/about-us/contact-us) Contact Us  (https://www.wtva.com/livestream/) Watch Live  (https://graymedia.com/careers/#graymap) Careers  (https://www.wtva.com/sports) Sports  (https://www.wtva.com/page/advertise-with-us/) Advertise With Us  (https://www.wtva.com/contests) Contests    WTVA 1359 Beech Springs Rd. Saltillo, MS 38866 (662) 842-7620        (https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/WTVA?id=74148) Public Inspection File  (https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/44b0393b-6e1d-d077-2286-c4dce8204a03/e419083c-81a2-421f-8307-ef9e06a9d5cf.pdf) EEO Report  (https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/gdm/fcc/wtva-fcc_applications.pdf) FCC Applications  (https://www.wtva.com/page/closed-captioning/) Closed Captioning/Audio Description  (https://www.wtva.com/terms-of-service/) Terms of Service  (https://www.wtva.com/privacy-policy/) Privacy Policy  (mailto:traffic@wtva.com) Traffic Contact Email  (tel:662-842-7620) 662-842-7620  (https://www.wtva.com/advertising) Advertising    (https://gray.tv/uploads/documents/Gray-AI-Policy.pdf) Click here to learn more about our approach to artificial intelligence.  A Gray Local Media Station © 2002-2026