Man walking tall across Michigan

Mon, May 5, 2008    to del.icio.us

PALMYRA — Neil Sauter is equal parts athlete, adventurer, fundraiser, motivational speaker and — his sister might tell you — crazy.

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The 25-year-old Blissfield man today begins an eight-week, 830-mile walk atop 3-foot stilts from the southeast corner of Michigan to the western edge of the Upper Peninsula.

"I thought he was crazy at first, but it's kind of cool that he's actually following through with it," said his sister, Renae, a Grand Valley State University student.

Standing close to 9 feet tall, Sauter began the journey this morning from Lambertville, planning to saunter from town to town and averaging roughly 20 miles a day. He plans to be in Grand Haven on May 16 for a three-day stay in West Michigan.

Sauter hopes to raise money and awareness for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan, an organization that helps people with the condition live more independently.

The condition hits close to home for Sauter, who suffers muscle tightness because of his own mild cerebral palsy.

"It's going to be a difficult thing — but I want to show if you're really dedicated to something, you can accomplish your goals," he said.

In 2006, Sauter was already juggling and performing magic tricks at festivals and parades when he decided to add stilt walking to his repertoire. His career as a stilt walker grew from there. He still performs at events and in schools, and even completed the Grand Rapids Marathon in October in seven hours, 23 minutes.

At first, Sauter was worried about the crowded streets during the marathon, but soon found out his fellow racers were more entertained than annoyed with his presence.

"In the marathon, I had really good support from the runners," he said. "They were giving me high-fives and cheering me on."

Sauter hopes people will come and see him on his current trek as well.

After walking roughly six hours each day, Sauter plans to perform and speak at schools and other events, including a West Michigan Whitecaps game on May 16.

On his journey, Sauter will carry a backpack with essentials such as a tent, clothes, food and juggling balls, and will either camp out or stay with friends.

He'll also bring along a laptop, camera and video camera to record the journey. He said The Detroit News has given him a daily place to share his blog.

Sauter has more to worry about than just the wind created by large trucks. He also still feels pain in his sprained ankle, which he got playing basketball 10 weeks ago.

And even if Sauter's not too worried, his fiancee, Kelly, and mother, Bev, still may be.

"I'll go by every once and a while and see if you want to quit," Bev, who lives in Palmyra, told her son.

Afterward, Sauter hopes to continue performing at schools and events to help pay for his education. He's beginning a master's degree program in natural resource management at Michigan State University in the fall.

Donations can be sent through Sauter's Web site, www.stiltstory.com; or by mail to UCP Michigan, 4970 Northwind Drive, Suite 102, E. Lansing, MI 48823.

On the Net:

www.stiltstory.com