SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - East Sacramento native Dennis Godby, ND, MA, a graduate of Sacred Heart Grammar School and a naturopathic doctor who has cared for patients in Midtown Sacramento for the past 21 years, will begin the final 760-mile leg of his five-year Walk USA for Health Equity on Aug. 24 in Bozeman, Montana. 

The journey will conclude in Seattle on Sept. 24, completing approximately 3,450 miles walked across America.

Born and raised in East Sacramento, Godby, 70, says his commitment to serving others began early. His mother, Rita Godby, spent 34 years as a registered nurse at Mercy General Hospital, loving and compassionate to all, where, Godby said, “no one ever left our house without being fed, whether they were hungry or not when they arrived, and her dedication to her patients was well known.” She inspired his walks and runs for justice, as she told him many times, “to stand up and be counted.” 

Godby became a California-licensed naturopathic doctor at age 48 and has spent more than two decades helping patients at his Midtown Sacramento practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, national conversations about health disparities inspired him to ask himself a simple question: “What am I doing about it?”

The answer became Walk USA for Health Equity, a five-year journey across America to make health equity visible and encourage conversations about why factors such as zip code, income, education, housing and access to healthcare continue to influence health and life expectancy.

Since 2022, the walk has crossed South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana. The final 760-mile leg will travel through Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane, Moses Lake and Ellensburg before culminating in Seattle on Sept. 24.

The journey has also included personal challenges. During the five-year project, Godby’s sister, St. Francis High School graduate Mary Rita, died following an 18-year battle with ovarian cancer.

After completing the second leg of the walk, Godby was unexpectedly diagnosed with severe congenital mitral valve regurgitation and underwent open-heart surgery at Sutter Hospital. Following months of recovery and rehabilitation, he returned to training and is now preparing to complete the final leg.

“This walk,” Godby said, “is about building a movement that makes health equity visible so that zip codes and discrimination no longer determine who gets to be healthy. Every person deserves a fair opportunity to achieve their highest level of health.”

The Seattle finale on Sept. 24 will begin at the Northwest African American Museum and conclude at Pier 62 on Seattle’s waterfront, where healthcare professionals, students, faith communities, runners, walkers and community members are expected to gather in support of health equity.

For Sacramento residents, Godby’s journey represents more than a cross-country walk. It is the story of a hometown boy whose roots in East Sacramento, education at Sacred Heart School and inspiration from his mother’s morality and father’s discipline have grown into a national movement dedicated to creating healthier and more equitable communities.

Walk USA for Health Equity is a five-year grassroots movement dedicated to making health equity visible so that zip codes and discrimination no longer determine who gets to be healthy. Through public education, community engagement and cross-country walks, the initiative encourages action toward healthier and more equitable communities.