SARASOTA – It was a promise four years in the making and two years delayed due to injury.
On Oct. 24, USF alum Nels Matson arrived on the steps of city hall in New York City — fulfilling a promise made in late 2020 that he would honor a friend’s late brother by trekking across America by foot.
Dubbed “Project Campbell’s Call,” the charity run honored fallen U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Campbell by seeking to raise $100 per mile for the Wounded Warrior Project, the nonprofit that Campbell championed in his will.
The USF Muma College of Business graduate and ultrarunner completed the 3,063-mile mission in record time — clocking in as the third fastest transcontinental run in recorded history at 46 days, 17 hours and 26 minutes.
“Running across the U.S. was the hardest physical thing that I have ever experienced,” said Matson, who is an accountant in Sarasota. “Every time that I had a pain or was struggling mentally, I thought about what our nation’s veterans have experienced, and realized whatever I was experiencing was pretty small in comparison."
“I thought about all of the people in our country that are chasing dreams and accomplishing goals because of those that served and those that gave all as Chris Campbell did,” Matson said.
Matson began his trek on Sept. 8 on the steps of city hall in San Francisco. The route mirrors Pete Kostelnick’s trans-American running record set in 2016. The campaign united the stories of veterans from across the country while raising awareness — and funds — for the veteran community.
Throughout the 46-day challenge, Matson had support from a crew who took care of the logistics, such as meal planning for the 10,000-plus calories a day he needed to eat in order to avoid caloric deficit. His team also posted photo and video updates on social media, documenting his travels through 12 states.
“I had the best, most caring crew that a person could ask for,” he said. “This was not an individual sport. They were there for every step, keeping me fueled and moving in the right direction. It took a lot of great people to make this happen.”
“Running across the U.S. was the hardest physical thing that I have ever experienced" — Nels Matson
Matson, who earned a master’s in business analytics and information systems from USF, is no stranger to ultra endurance charity events. He previously biked across the country for the Children’s Heart Foundation and once ran 1,200 miles from Florida to Washington, D.C. to raise funds for children in Cambodia who needed heart surgery.
Matson first heard about Campbell’s story while working as an accountant at Kerkering Barberio. Matson’s coworker and friend, Cindy Campbell, lent him a book that recounted the story of her younger brother, Chris Campbell. He was a Navy SEAL who served the country for almost 15 years and in 2011, he and other military soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Matson was inspired by Chris Campbell’s last wish to have 100,000 unique contributions to the Wounded Warrior Project to help those who made it home. He decided he would help Campbell reach that goal by pushing himself to his running limits.
Despite having to delay the transcontinental run for two years due to injury, Matson never lost sight of his mission to complete Project Campbell’s Call or his passion for supporting veterans.
“The greatest casualty is being forgotten,” he said, echoing the Wounded Warrior Project’s slogan. “Just because this run is over, it doesn’t mean we’ll stop saying Chris Campbell’s name or honoring his legacy and heart of service.”
The campaign has raised over $35,000 but supporters can still donate through Matson’s Wounded Warrior Project community fundraising page for Project Campbell’s Call at T4N1.org.
