UT Austin student walks 135 miles to honor 135 daily suicide deaths in 2023

January 16, 2026

A University of Texas at Austin student completed a 135-mile walk this month to mark the number of lives lost daily to suicide in 2023. He began the journey at the UT Tower on Jan. 3 and finished back on campus by Jan. 11.

The walker, finance and humanities honors senior Dylan Woollard, carried a 25-pound pack for the duration of the route. He chose the weighted load to reflect the physical and symbolic weight of the issue he was highlighting.

Woollard's route took him from the UT Tower to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, then back to Austin, covering the full distance over several days. He planned the trip as a continuous effort, stopping only to rest and maintain his supplies.

The objective of the walk was to memorialize the estimated 135 people who died by suicide each day in 2023, and to bring attention to the magnitude of suicide as a public health concern. By matching his miles to that daily figure, he sought to create a visible reminder on campus and in surrounding communities.

Organizing a long-distance walk on public roads and through multiple jurisdictions required route planning and logistical support, including rest stops and hydration. Woollard completed the trip without public incident and returned to campus at the end of the planned period.

The walk adds to ongoing conversations about mental health and prevention efforts among college communities and beyond. Woollard's effort emphasized remembrance and awareness, using an endurance challenge to underline a national statistic many find difficult to grasp.