He walked for over 12 hours to get to work, but later his CEO discovered him.

Hard Day’s Night

Walter Carr was simply trying to ensure he succeeded on his first day of work, but when the company's CEO heard about his dedication, Carr was greeted with an unsuspected surprise.

Walter was thrilled to start his new job as a mover for the young company Bellhop. But the day before his start, he faced an unforeseen obstacle that could have cost him everything. The way he handled it changed his life.

Before He Started

The day before Walter was set to start his new job, which offered a much higher pay than his previous job at a fast-food restaurant, he was fueled by the prospect of a fresh start.

The stakes were higher than just pocket money. Walter had just paid his rent, leaving his savings at zero. With the ability to make his own schedule, the contract with Bellhop seemed like a great opportunity, but Walter would soon face a roadblock.

Quick Thinking

As he was about to run errands in the afternoon before his first shift, he realized his car wouldn't start. He didn't have the money to take it to the shop at that moment since he expected to receive his first paycheck before having to pay for repairs, and he didn't necessarily have the time.

Before panicking, he thought he could get a ride to work early the next morning with a friend, so he pulled out his phone and started dialing a few numbers...

Weaving through the Situation

Every time Walter heard the tones of the phone, he felt like his heart was pounding until he heard his friend's voice answer on the other end.

With each person Walter spoke to in succession, his spirits sank a bit more as each one explained they wouldn't be available to give him a hand the next morning.

Crafting a Plan

One of the things that concerned Walter the most as he thought about what to do was the lack of public transportation connecting Birmingham to the suburban communities.

Walter's job was not just on the other side of town, it was well beyond the metro area's limits. Walter had to get a bit creative to get to work, but money was going to be a limiting factor.

One-Way Ticket

With only a dozen hours left before he had to get to work, Walter decided he had to take the only option left to him. He would walk. Walter didn't think it would be beyond his physical fitness level.

After all, in high school, he was a long-distance runner, and the young student was determined to enlist in the Marines after getting his associate degree. The question was how much walking would really give him time to spare.

Mapping the Route

Walter once again took out his phone and decided to check the extent of the journey. He typed in Pelham, Alabama. From his apartment in Homewood, there was a distance of just over 30 km.

Based on the route the computer gave him, the walk would take him about eight hours. Seeing this number, however, strengthened Walter's determination. Not only would he walk, but he would do it faster than Google suggested.

The Necessary Steps

If Walter had to be there by 8 a.m., he needed to leave around midnight. This gave him a few moments to eat a little and take a nap to be as fresh and energetic as possible upon waking up.

With little time to spare, the determined teenager whipped up a few eggs and ate them along with some bologna before immediately going to bed. It felt like it was way too early when his alarm rang at midnight.

Supplies in Hand

Luckily, the most important tools Walter needed for his new job were his strength and positive attitude. Not wanting to be weighed down during his walk, he took his phone and wallet, then, to protect himself from stray dogs, a baseball and a kitchen knife.

Before falling asleep, he had found the best route to take, but Walter still needed a lot of mental courage to dare take on such a walk just to be on time for this new job.

Long and Lonely Road

With eight hours of stretching ahead of him, feeling longer than the road he would traverse alone, Walter found plenty of time to let his thoughts wander, even while staying alert for any danger.

His steps echoed one after the other heavily, marking the time of an endless journey. Here and there, Walter decided to pick up the pace, sprinting for about a mile before slowing down again. In the darkness, however, he saw a pair of eyes shimmering ahead.

A Dog in the Night

One after the other, his steps fell, marking the time of an endless journey. Here and there, Walter decided to pick up the pace, sprinting for about a mile before slowing down again. In the darkness, he saw a pair of eyes shimmering ahead.

The ball left his palm, soaring through the air in front of the dog, whose attention was immediately drawn to the flying object. In the darkness beyond the road, the dog took off, clearing the way for Walter to continue.

Wear and Tear

Hours passed, but Walter remained focused on his goal. He kept going over the mental map he had made of his route, which helped him conserve his strength, even as he felt his legs starting to burn.

It was almost 4 a.m., and Walter thought he was running late. He quickly calculated he could afford to rest for a few minutes, just to regain some strength before moving on. With that, he sat down to rest.

Luck or No?

Although he only had a few moments of respite, Walter wanted to make the most of it. Instead, it felt like barely a few seconds had passed before a pair of headlights lit up in the field behind him.

It was the police. Walter hoped they wouldn't notice him sitting on the sidewalk, but as the car pulled up right in front of him, he could only hope they would have mercy for what he was trying to accomplish. But the window rolled down, and Walter's heartbeat quickened.

"I'm Actually Going for Work"

The officer behind the wheel, Mark Knighton, leaned out the window to ask the young man sitting in the parking if he was okay. "It's crazy but I'm actually going to work. It's my first day of work,"

Walter explained, waiting to see if the officer believed him. He still had a long way to go and just hoped he wouldn't be held up for too long. Officer Knighton had another idea in mind.

Rolling Along the Road

Officer Knighton was concerned about the exhaustion of the young man sitting on the sidewalk in front of him. It was about 4 a.m., but he was impressed by Walter's determination to get to his new job.

Knighton asked him when he had his last meal, thinking he must be not only tired but also hungry. After hearing it had been hours since his last meal, Knighton suggested getting food for Walter, but Walter had no money on him at all.

Fueling Up

The officers insisted Walter get into the car. He was hesitant, but they seemed well-intentioned. They explained they were taking him to eat, despite Walter having no money. Walter could not have been more grateful for this unexpected help.

The officers decided they would not only ensure Walter was fed with a hot meal, but they also wanted to help him get closer to his destination, even if they couldn't take him all the way.

Race Against the Clock

With two Whataburger chicken biscuits filling his belly, the two officers cut a significant portion of Walter's journey when they dropped him off several miles closer to his destination.

Knighton and his colleague explained to Walter that they had radioed another local municipality police escort to pick him up from a nearby church since their service was about to end. Walter got out of their vehicle, full of gratitude, but his anxiety was still high.

Waiting on the Edge

Minutes passed, but Walter was still waiting for his new escort in front of the church. He checked his watch and noticed how late it was.

If he didn't start walking again soon, Walter feared all his efforts would be in vain, as he would never be able to make it in time for his first day. Tired, he got up and hit the road again.

A Detour

As Walter prepared to undertake the second part of his journey, the road he was now rushing to traverse was a stark contrast to the crowded roads he had already taken. It was already 5:30 a.m., and the gray dawn of summer now illuminated his path.

His ears perked at the sound of a car coming up behind him, but as he stepped aside, the car slowed down. Walter's body tensed in anticipation of danger, but he looked back to find a second police car.

Ahead of Schedule

As the car reached Walter's side, he saw that the officers had already lowered their window to question him. It turned out the officers in this second vehicle had been informed by the previous escort about Walter and they were glad to find him here on the road.

At their insistence, Walter got into the car, grateful that he would not only make it to work but would now be early and retain some of his energy for the job itself.

Arrival at the Lameys'

It was only 6:30 a.m. when Walter arrived at the home where he was supposed to help with the move. His second escort accompanied him to the door, waiting for the homeowner to greet them.

They explained to Jenny Lamey that the young man they had brought so early was part of the moving team she had hired and that he had walked all night to get there. Jenny was amazed by his dedication.

A Deep Impact

"The officer told me, 'I have this nice kid in my car, he's a great child, he has walked all night to get to you'," Jenny Lamey recalled to The Washington Post. "And that's when the tears started. I began to cry."

Although Jenny offered Walter a place to rest until the rest of his team arrived for work, given the amount of energy he had already expended, he declined her offer, insisting that he would prefer to start work early.

Impressive Strength

The rest of Walter's team soon arrived, and even though the young men had never met before, they began to work like a well-oiled machine, skillfully packing up the Lameys' old home before transporting and unloading it at a new location.

Jenny was particularly impressed by Walter's tireless efforts, as he refused to rest until the work was done. When the bulk of the moving was completed, he even went so far as to play basketball with Jenny Lamey's children.

Where did he get all that energy from?

Reflecting on Walter's work in an interview given to The Washington Post, Mr. Lamey remarked, "I can't imagine what kept him going. What happened to him physically was supernatural. I think it was God who gave him all that strength that day."

Despite the physical demands of the work, Walter did not hesitate for a single moment. If they hadn't already known he had walked all night, they would have never guessed he had already expended so much energy just to be on time for work.

Proving It's Possible

"He's humble and kind," Jenny told the press. "He's truly amazing. He said that's how he was raised. Nothing is impossible unless you tell yourself it's impossible."

She also shared that she believed their first meeting would be far from the last. Walter is exactly the kind of young person the Lameys wanted to keep as a positive role model for their 11, 13, and 16-year-old children.

A Phone Call and a Promotion Later

Jenny still couldn't forget all the efforts Walter had put into his work, not only to get there on time, but also to continue to give his all throughout the day. She wanted to make sure his efforts received the recognition he deserved, so she called the young man's supervisor simply to praise his performance and character.

On the same day, she also posted his story on her Facebook, simply because she was truly impressed. What she didn't anticipate was that the consequences would be incredible as well.

Paying It Forward

As Jenny recounted Walter's supervisor, both of them were overwhelmed by his dedication. To complement her Facebook post, she decided to launch a small GoFundMe page for Walter, hoping to raise about $2,000 to help him address the car troubles.

She quickly found that this fundraising project received an extremely positive reception. Ultimately, she had raised over $44,000 for the hopeful future Marine.

Benefits in Sight

Receiving financial help at such a young age can often have more disastrous consequences. That's why one reader, touched by Walter's story, wanted to help him manage the money he had just received.

This man was a financial advisor by profession, and their help is usually not cheap. He was so impressed by Walter's commitment to his work that he wanted to do his job for free to help the young man.

Beyond Expectations

Walter was so grateful to have kept his job that he could not have imagined how impressive his efforts had been. Jenny had not told him about her fundraising, but he soon found himself very surprised...

It wasn't just Lamey who wanted to thank him for his efforts, but even after just one job, Bellhops wanted to offer him well-deserved recognition. On that note, CEO Luke Marklin decided to give him a call.

Meeting the Big Boss

When Walter answered the unfamiliar number calling him, he was surprised to learn that the CEO himself was calling to express his appreciation for Walter's work ethic. In addition to wanting to convey how impressed he was that someone like Walter would want to work for his company, he wanted to meet Walter in person.

The two arranged to meet at a local café a few days later, but Walter couldn't imagine that Marklin had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Plane, Train, or...

On the day of the meeting, Walter woke up to a clear and mild day, like any other summer morning in Alabama. The café they had chosen for their meeting was not exactly close by, but it wasn't as far as where Walter had walked so much.

Since he still hadn't managed to get his car fixed, Walter walked to the restaurant, but the journey only took him 20 minutes. This act reinforced his willingness to go the extra mile to make things happen.

Earning a Living

When Walter arrived for his meeting with Marklin, he didn't know that Jenny and several of his colleagues were waiting in the wings to take part in the big surprise they had planned.

Even before entering the café, Marklin intercepted Walter in the parking lot, where handed him a pair of keys. Marklin explained that it was a 2014 Ford Escape he had driven down to Alabama just to give to his young employee.

A Moment Between Dream and Reality

"We were already setting the bar very high for heart and grit and… you blew it away," Marklin explained to the stunned teenager. Even as Marklin pressed the keys into his hands, Walter had trouble believing the moment was real.

Walter was more than grateful to all those who had helped him along the way over the past few days, and he was overwhelmed by their generosity. Moreover, he was eager to test out his new car.

Beyond What He Could Imagine

Walter felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw he was actually being given a car. After all he had been through, even walking to that meeting that day, he felt like his prayers had finally been answered.

In hindsight, Walter shared, "The lesson in my story is that it's great to touch people; I have always wanted one day; maybe, to be worthy of touching people. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything. It's up to us to decide if we can."