When his car broke down, Walter Carr didn’t settle for defeat. This Birmingham college student walks 20 miles to work. He didn’t realize how life-changing his decision to persevere in the face of adversity would be.
Walter began walking at around midnight. He didn’t take for granted the opportunity of the job put before him. It was to be his first day at Bellhops moving company, and he knew the only way to get there by morning was to walk all night. Most people would have given up, but not Walter.
He made it to Hoover by 2 a.m. and then to Pelham by 4 a.m. At around 3 a.m. police officer Mark Knighten spotted Walter walking and stopped to see if everything was alright. Walter explained the situation to him and the police officer was so impressed by his honesty and politeness that he, and his fellow officers, took Walter out for breakfast. They even proceeded to buy him a to-go lunch for later.
They dropped him off at the house that he was helping with their move. The owner of the home, Jenny Lamey, was told by officers of Walter’s overnight plight to make it to her home. Jenny offered him a place to rest while he waited for the rest of the crew. He declined and said he wasn’t tired.
“He wore black Nike joggers which he commented that he intentionally wore because he knew he had to walk thru (sic) some pretty high grass on his middle-of-the-night trek,” declared Lamey. “He looked at me in the eye and smiled and I felt like I had known him much longer.”
Lamey was so impressed by Walter’s determination and the pursuit of his dreams that she posted on Facebook. She told about her encounter with him and what an amazing person she thinks he is. She told how impressive it is that a young college student walks 20 miles to work.
She ended her post with this:
“So yes, yesterday we moved. Yesterday was crazy. Yesterday was long and hard and hot. But…Walter.”
Bellhops CEO Luke Marklin drove from Tennessee to meet Walter. He told Walter that he wanted to have a cup of coffee and personally thank him for his dedication to the job. At the end of the meeting, however, Marklin had a shocking surprise for Walter. He gave Walter his own barely-driven 2014 Ford Escape.
Walter could only say one word: “Seriously?”
“I am honestly blown away by him,” Marklin said of Carr. “Everything he did that day is exactly who we are – heart and grit. So far, he’s batting 1,000.”
Not only did Walter make an impression on his boss, but he left quite the impression on homeowner Jenny Lamey, too. She has set up a GoFundMe account for Walter.
After all of the excitement dies down, this is what Walter had to say about it all.
“I want people to know this – no matter what the challenge is, you can break through the challenge. Nothing is impossible unless you make it impossible. You can do anything you set your mind to. I’ve got God by my side. I’m really emotional right now trying to hold back the tears.”
Walter thanked his parents for teaching him to work hard for what he wanted in life and he thanked God.
“God blessed me to be a blessing,” he said. “Whatever challenges God puts in front of me I know it’s for a reason.”
Watch the priceless video below.
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