Hi, Wiregrass, Jenn here, and I’m really glad YOU’RE here! Today I sat down with Chris Dantzler from the organization Walk With 5, and what I expected to be a conversation about weight loss became something far more meaningful.
Chris shared the story behind his journey, the struggles that came before the progress, and the moments when he felt completely alone. He talked openly about wanting to change his life, struggling to do it, falling into depression, and reaching an incredibly dark place. But he also talked about faith and about having a vision for something that would eventually reach far beyond his own story.
That vision became Walk With 5.
Chris began his journey at 568 pounds and has now lost more than 160 pounds, but what stayed with me most is the heart behind what he is building. Somewhere along the way, this stopped being only about his own health journey. He realized there were other people out there who felt the way he felt. And that’s when he found his people. People struggling, people discouraged, people who wanted to change their lives but did not know how to begin, people who felt like they had no one. And that’s when he created something for them.
Walk With 5 is about encouragement, community, faith, health, connection, and reminding people that they do not have to walk through life alone. What started with one man trying to change his own life has now become a way to reach others who need that same reminder to keep going.
One of my favorite things Chris shared was the meaning behind the number five. Five has always been his favorite number, and that love for the number came from his grandmother. That connection eventually became part of the name Walk With 5.
And in one of those little moments that just makes you smile, Chris’s interview also happens to be the fifth video I have recorded for What’s Happening Wiregrass! If that’s not kismet, I don’t know what is.
Man, sometimes the details line up in a way that is simply meant to be. But God.
And one thing from our conversation that will stay with me is this: 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟓. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠.
That may seem like a sweet and simple message, but after hearing the story behind it, it means so much more.
It is not just keep walking. It is keep living. Keep trying. Keep showing up. Keep believing there might be something on the other side of the day you are in.
And that is why the little sign behind me in the studio means so much to me. It says, You are loved. Keep going.
It is a message for anyone who has ever been in a dark place, including Chris and me. For anyone who has felt alone, discouraged, hopeless, or unsure how they were going to make it through the next day. Sometimes the words we need most are the simplest ones.
Keep going. Because others are walking with you now.
Come out to Porter Park on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, and meet your people, your community. 🤍
Okay, we’re here. We have things to talk about.
So come on, friend.
Let’s get into it. ♥️💋
