Eliud Sangabriel
Left: Ken Wimberly and Eliud Sangabriel bond during a 24-hour walk challenge.
There’s something about a friendship born in the midst of an epic challenge that sticks. And for Eliud Sangabriel and Ken Wimberly, two Fort Worth commercial real estate agents, their bond was built not over coffee or casual catchups, but on a brutal, unrelenting 24-hour walk. They didn’t just cross physical boundaries. They discovered something deeper — the kind of connection that only suffering together can forge. And to think, it all started with a text message.
It was 2020, the pandemic had us all confined, restless, looking for something to break the monotony. One Sunday morning, Eliud sent Ken a text. Simple, bold: “Let’s walk for 24 hours.” At first, Ken, a seasoned fitness junkie, gave it a skeptical smile, almost dismissing it as an absurdity. But then Eliud sent a video. A group of people walking for an entire day. No shortcuts. No breaks. Just the relentless grind of the human spirit against the ticking clock.
Ken’s curiosity piqued, and just like that, a challenge was born.
Two weeks later, Eliud and Ken were on their feet, their sneakers hitting the pavement of Las Colinas and Flower Mound, 24 hours of walking ahead of them. The route, mapped out with meticulous detail by Eliud, felt more like a personal pilgrimage than a physical feat. One could imagine the moments of solitude between their conversations, the moments of pain when the muscles screamed for relief, the moments of connection that only emerge when a person is stripped down to their rawest, most vulnerable self.
Ken recalls the agony of that first walk like it was yesterday: “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. No matter how slow you go, eventually, you hit the wall. Your body tells you to stop.”
In the heat of the struggle, Ken, never one to shy away from pushing limits, threw in a curveball. He proposed that they add 40 pushups at the top of every hour. By the end of the walk, they’d cranked out 1,000 pushups, their bodies aching, their spirits tested.
“I think it was a terrible idea,” Ken laughs, “but that was the point, right? Pushing through the fatigue.”
It wasn’t just about the miles, though. Something deeper was happening. With each footstep, with every pushup, their connection was solidified. They weren’t just two guys on a long walk. They were brothers in sweat.
“Suffering together changes everything,” Eliud says. “You see someone in that kind of pain, and they see you. You learn things about each other you wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Five years have passed since that first grueling walk, and what started as a challenge between two friends has grown into an annual tradition that combines personal growth with a powerful mission. Every year, Eliud and Ken walk to raise funds for a charity. This year, they’re walking for Freed People, an organization combating human trafficking, and Operation Enduring Support, which helps families of fallen special forces soldiers. Their goal: $10,000.
Eliud Sangabriel
Ken says, “This walk was always about doing something difficult for a reason. To push ourselves and to give back.”
On April 4, it begins again. Press Cafe Fort Worth will be their starting point. It’s a place where their journey has come to symbolize something much larger than the miles ahead.
“We’ll meet at 7 a.m., grab our gear, and have breakfast. By 8 a.m., we’re on the move,” Eliud says, setting the scene.
The walk will take place at the Chisholm Trailhead, which interconnects to the Trinity Trails system, passing by iconic spots like the Naval Joint Reserve Base and Burger's Lake. Refueling stations — namely Heim BBQ — will keep the walker’s spirits up as the miles stretch on.
Ken, ever the realist, estimates the total distance at 60 miles, give or take. But it’s not the distance that matters most. It’s the mental and emotional endurance required to push through the darkest hours of fatigue. They’re not just walking; they’re fighting through pain, changing their mindsets, conquering their inner demons.
“It’s about how you deal with the pain,” Eliud says. “How you convert those negative thoughts into fuel. The mind has to take over when the body says, ‘No more.’”
For Ken, it’s all mental. “When the body gives out, the mind has to step in. That’s where the real work happens.”
The walk is not just a physical feat, though. It’s a shared journey, a kind of Australian walkabout, where the line between physical and mental blurs. “At a certain point, your mind starts playing tricks on you,” Ken says. “But you’re not alone in it. There’s a camaraderie that comes with suffering together.”
And as the years go by, the walk has grown, with as many as 30 people expected to join in this year. What began as a simple challenge between two friends has become a community event, drawing in people from all walks of life, pun intended. Some walk the full 24 hours. Others fall short. But the point isn’t perfection. It’s about trying, about testing the limits of what you’re capable of.
“There’s something special about this walk,” Eliud says, his tone full of purpose. “It’s not just about raising money. It’s about proving to yourself that you can do something you didn’t think was possible.”
As Ken puts it, the walk isn’t just about the cause. It’s about self-discovery. “Every time we end, it feels like it’s the last time. But then, a few days later, you get that rush. And before you know it, you’re thinking, ‘I might just do it again.’”
For those looking for a challenge, Eliud and Ken invite you to join them on April 4 at 8 a.m., starting at 4801 Edwards Ranch Road. Come for the miles, stay for the camaraderie, and, most importantly, walk for something that matters.
