Hi! My name is Robert Eric Wagner, my friends call me Eric.

My family has a long, proud history of military service, including my father, both grandfathers, and an uncle. With America's 250th anniversary coming up, I want to recognize and honor the veterans of any nation who have served their country, as well as acknowledge the very real challenge of Men's Mental Health.

Starting on May 29th, I am embarking on a 40-day silent hike on the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness and donations towards Men's Mental Health. During that time, I will be hiking from Delaware Water Gap in PA, to Norwich VT, near where my father graduated from military school at Norwich University.

This journey is about bringing attention to something that too often goes unseen. Men’s mental health, especially among veterans, is a reality that many people acknowledge but few truly engage with. By partnering with HeadsUpGuys, a non-profit, anonymous resource specifically designed to support men and their families with the tools they need to fight depression and other mental health challenges, I am hoping to make a difference for those that have sacrificed so much.

This hike is a way to highlight the weight that so many men carry in silence. Veterans in particular understand what it means to hold experiences that are difficult to put into words. By choosing silence, I am not avoiding that reality, I am stepping directly into it, in a way that reflects what many already live with every day.

What we carry does not disappear when we ignore it. It waits. This hike is an invitation to meet it directly, and to recognize that there are ways to move forward that do not require doing it alone.

100% of proceeds will be donated to HeadsUpGuys at the conclusion of the hike.