Roxboro man calls 100-mile walk to fight human trafficking 'a calling from God'

Whether it be growing up on a tobacco farm or striding through an entire weekend, Marty Perkins knows about sweat equity.

The 62-year-old didn't scoff at walking 100 miles around the track at Person High just like he conquered his mission to do 1 million pushups over a calendar year. These acts of selflessness aren't totally uncommon for Perkins, despite having – as he calls it – "a fake knee."

For Perkins, working on a farm and regularly attending church were common parts of life growing up in Roxboro. Those principled routines shined through during a committed act he embarked on last month to bring awareness to human trafficking and abuse.

Perkins' walk encompassed 400 laps around the track at Person High the weekend of Sept. 8. From Friday night into Sunday night, Perkins said he only stopped to sit and eat a snack, pulling two all-nighters and spending every other moment walking. His wife, Johnsie, walked about 50 miles with him and stayed at the track the entire time. Friends and well-wishers from around town joined Perkins on the walk for various lengths.

How did the idea come to him? He says it was old-fashioned divine intervention.

"The short answer is it was a calling from God," said Perkins, who has been going to church all his life and devoted his life to God at 33. "Ever since then, I try to recognize when God is making a calling on my life, and he's made some tough ones."

Perkins has always been active, which helps, but he's also beat his body up. He had knee replacement surgery on one knee in 2014 and multiple surgeries on the other. He threw himself into a similar act in 2001 when he walked 100 miles for Relay For Life. That was 22 years ago.

Perkins said the walk took him approximately 47 hours and 7 minutes, including a soaking from several rounds of rain showers, and he was 13 pounds lighter after finishing. Perkins has always been active, playing high school football and going on to play college baseball at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia.

"Everybody was questioning whether I could make this happen," Perkins said. "I made a pact with god that I would walk 20 miles if he could carry me 80."

Johnsie was a big source of emotional support.

"She had to hear my whining and complaining the first time I did it," Perkins joked.

The walk raised more than $12,000 for Cry Freedom Missions, which the group will use to enhance their jail ministry. Perkins joined Cry Freedom in January after coming to grips with it internally. He joined a team that routinely goes to the Person County Detention Center and talks to women who have been victims of trafficking. Perkins said some of the ladies don't even realize they've been taken advantage of before it's too late.

"I fought it for a year," Perkins said. "I just finally got convicted and God just told me that’s what I want you to do."

As strenuous as the walk was, Perkins said no significant damage was done and there were no long-term effects. Aside from some pretty big blisters on his feet, Perkins was alright.

"I truly thought I destroyed my knee and hip, but everything is great now," Perkins said.

As far as recovery goes, Perkins said he got home that night, took a shower, went to bed and life went on pretty much as normal.

"It was amazing how quickly I was able to recover," Perkins said. "I think I mowed the yard the next day."