LINDALE, Texas — An Oklahoma man is pushing himself to the limit, traveling 630 miles across state lines on horseback to overcome life’s challenges and inspire others.
Sean Herren, 35, is journeying from the Kansas-Oklahoma border to the Gulf of Mexico, defying the odds after surviving a near-fatal accident and battling mental health struggles. His trek is both a personal test and a message of resilience to others.
“There are a lot of struggles like every single person has and I decided to fight through those,” Herren said.
Herren survived a near-death experience when he was just 2 years old.
“I was electrocuted by three transformers, 8,333 volts, and damaged both my arms, one bad enough that needed to be amputated,” Herren said.
The shock left Herren unresponsive. He was revived and spent months in the hospital, undergoing countless surgeries.
Doctors initially doubted his ability to walk or talk, let alone ride because of fears of potential brain damage.
“They said I would never be able to live a normal life again,” he said.
Despite his odds, Herren physically recovered but struggled with psychological challenges in his teenage years, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide.
“I had a rifle that was hanging on the wall and I stared at it for two hours because I didn't want to live anymore,” Herren said.
It was when Herren found his faith in God that he decided to face his fears in life and take each challenge step-by-step.
“Once I got through those struggles of life and I pushed through those things, then I felt like it had made me stronger,” he said.
Now, he travels nearly 20 miles a day, five days a week with his resting point in Lindale Tuesday night and a trip to Tyler coming later this week.
In just a few weeks, he has gained over 1,000 followers on TikTok and made countless friends who have opened their doors for him along the way.
“Every time I go to a new town, the most amazing people come out and find me so that's been one of the greatest joys of this trip,” Herren said.
Driven by his faith, this journey is a way to test his limits and inspire others to do the same.
“I feel like so many people have so much more potential and things that they can do in their own life,” he said. “They’ve got their special calling and gifts, those talents that they can use for good and for others. I just think that people are afraid of failure.”
Herren has something special planned for when he reaches the Gulf, but he hasn’t revealed it just yet. For now, he says he'll simply soak in the moment once he gets there.
“It'll be a celebration. I mean too, for not just me, but the horses,” Herren said. "It's something that they've enjoyed every mile of.”
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