He trained for a 70.3 mile Iron Man triathlon, got shoes and clothes for all types of terrain and downloaded audio versions of "War and Peace" and "Pride and Prejudice."
All that's left is to walk 3,475 miles of American soil.
On Jan. 28, UF alumnus Barrett Keene will start walking, stopping in major cities to spread awareness about and raise funds for orphaned and abandoned children.
"The thing is, we have millions of children facing incredible, difficult conditions that we can and should help, and this is how we will do it," Keene said.
Keene's journey, called Go Walk America, will begin in Miami and continue through Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Kan., Denver, Salt Lake City and Sacramento, ending in San Francisco.
While raising awareness for the world's 145 million orphaned and abandoned children, Keene said he also hopes to provide help.
Partnering with The Global Orphan Project, Go Walk America hopes to raise enough funds to buy 25,000 school uniforms to give to orphans and other children who cannot afford them, he said.
In some communities in Africa and Haiti, children can't go to school unless they have a uniform.
The funds Keene raises, in addition to buying uniforms, will help build sewing factories, which will create jobs, according to Go Walk America's website.
Keene has worked with orphans and abandoned children before. Trips to Panama, Guatemala and Brazil gave him firsthand experience, which, he said, is the most important aspect of helping.
"Get dirty and go visit, then do something about it," Keene said.
To prepare for his journey, Keene walks an average of 10 miles a day. Brooks Running Shoes donated the $2,500 of gear he will need.
Along the way, friends will take turns driving the support car that follows him.
UF and Cornell University, where Keene is pursuing his doctorate, will track his progress.
"The impact is big, far more reaching than just having clothes to go to school," said Joy Goodwin, UF doctoral student in agricultural education and communications.
Goodwin is the graduate adviser for the Agriculture Communicators and Leaders for Tomorrow club at UF, and she caught wind of Keene's journey through an email from the faculty adviser.
The students in the club will walk alongside Keene from Ocala to Lake City. Keene should reach the area around Feb. 26, she said. Anyone in the area is encouraged to join.
"Barrett kept saying, ‘You know it's not about walking across the United States; it's about knowing that you can make a difference,'" Goodwin said.
UF alumnus Barrett Keene visits with orphaned children in Croix-des-Bouquet, Haiti, at one of the 15 orphanages supported by The Global Orphan Project.
