If you happen to be driving in the Midwest or South West in the coming weeks keep an eye out for a man walking briskly on the side of the road.
You might think he is crazy and, by his own admission, he is doing something that most would consider mad.
But Fergus Farrell, the walker with a QR code on the back of his t-shirt, knows exactly what he is doing and exactly where he is going.
That would be from New York City to Los Angeles, and on a mission to raise funds for spinal cord injury research.
Here. in brief, is Fergus's story: "Fergus Farrell of Athenry acquired a spinal cord injury in 2018 after an accident in his coach yard. Through rehab, grit and determination he learnt to walk again. He still suffers from many issues related to his injury and will do so for the rest of his life but he is adamant not to let that reduce his ability to take on challenges.
"When he left the National Rehab Hospital on his own two feet, he challenged himself to walk from Galway to Dublin in 5 days. He completed this massive challenge. That challenge was to prove to himself he could walk again. His next challenge is to prove we are all capable of more than we think and we are more than the sum of our parts. In 2026, Fergus will walk across America. 4500km. He will be raising funds to support Spinal Injuries Ireland and the Reeve Foundation in the US (TBC)."
"People are saying to me 'you're mad' and I agree with them, Fergus, who is 47, told the Echo from his home in Athenry, County Galway.
"But I'm privileged to be able to do it."
Doing it will mean flying to New York from Ireland in the coming days, getting his wits and his gear together in Manhattan and then setting off across America from a starting point on the Brooklyn Bridge, this on Saturday, August 22.
From there he plans to walk roughly 60 kilometers a day (roughly 38.5 miles) in a generally south west direction all the way to Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.
Sounds simple enough. Well!
"60K is just a target. I hope to finish in 75 days, but again that's a target. There might be extra days due to injuries, blisters and the like."
Fergus will mostly walk along state routes. In Kansas, for example, there are relatively few highways crossing that state to begin with.
"So people see this crazy guy on the side of the road and they are thinking he's lost. But I hope the QR code on my back is a sign that I am doing something different.
"I hope to meet as many people as possible along the way. I'm looking forward to meeting genuine, honest Americans."
Fergus is under no illusions as to the nature of the challenge ahead of him.
"Yes, this is an extreme challenge, one very hard on the body. I have to allow time for recovery using my own recovery process."
That will take place in the hotels along the way where Fergus will rest and recuperate.
His journey will be aided by volunteers who, for example, will meet him on the road stretch of the day using a car that will act as a supplier of food and liquid.
The walk, as it proceeds west, will take Fergus into more rugged terrain, states such as Colorado and Utah being two standouts.
Fergus, together with his friend and supporter Phil O'Kelly, has already scouted southern Utah. This part of the U.S. will be about as far removed from County Galway as can be imagined.
At the end of it all, perhaps at the end of October or early November, Fergus will set eyes on the Pacific Ocean, his great walk and grand mission accomplished.
"Yeah, the mad Irishman going across America. But this is about raising awareness and raising, hopefully, a million euros or dollars for research. In that regard I'm hoping for as much media attention as possible as make my way."
And what a way.
