West Virginia
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey walking 1 mile a day to champion better health
Gov. Patrick Morrisey gripped the microphone and hyped up a crowd of parents and children in front of a concession stand at the West Virginia State Fair in August.
“Who’s ready to walk a Mountaineer Mile?”
The crowd cheered. In the shadow of the tall Ferris wheel and a flailing inflatable man, Morrisey asked the children if they were ready to hop on some rides. He asked the adults if anyone was going to the .38 Special and Kansas concert.
But for a moment, he got serious.
“We’ve been doing this Mountaineer Mile. It’s really kind of cool, to be able to walk at least a mile a day, to get into shape and to maybe even stick around a little longer,” Morrisey said.
The Mountaineer Mile is part of a health initiative the governor announced in March, during an event in Martinsburg with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“The first time I met him, I said, ‘Governor Morrisey, you look like you ate Governor Morrisey,’” Kennedy said to a crowd of supporters.
Later that day, Morrisey posted to social media a photograph of the sunset in the Shenandoah Valley from his home in Jefferson County. The governor said his first Mountaineer Mile was already in the books.
“In my life, I haven’t always made the right decisions in terms of food and exercise, but I am going to do my best now to improve and shed some pounds,” Morrisey wrote in the post.
The idea is simple. The governor challenged all West Virginians, including himself, to walk one mile a day. That’s 5,280 feet, or 2,000 steps, depending on one’s stride.
And it’s happening in a state that leads the nation in obesity, which contributes to the state’s high mortality rates resulting from diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer. The state has one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the country.
To be sure, diet, economics, lack of recreational facilities and other factors play into why the state struggles with weight. The governor has never said walking a mile a day would fix all that.
During a television interview the week after the Martinsburg event, Morrisey did something few politicians do: He opened up a bit about his struggles with weight. Morrisey said he was athletic in his youth, taking up tennis, running and wrestling. But long hours in the office over the years caused him to pack on the pounds.
“I’m far from perfect, but I think a lot of people can see, if I can do it in the position I’m in, a lot of people can do it,” Morrisey said.
And do it they have.
Over the last six months, universities, colleges, hospitals, state agencies and private businesses have all announced their own initiatives, holding events for employees and the public alike to walk a mile.
All the state parks with hiking trails have at least one designated as a “Mountaineer Mile Trail.” Morrisey even led a walk at West Virginia University before the Mountaineers faced Pitt at their annual Backyard Brawl.
And around the capital city, Morrisey can be spotted walking along the Kanawha River with his wife, Denise, and a couple of state troopers in tow.
Morrisey said he’s encouraged to see the support.
“Folks are proud to show off their daily walks and share their progress online, and that’s exactly what we hoped for — to see people moving, connecting and building healthier habits together,” he said.
Dr. Clay Marsh, chancellor and executive dean for Health Sciences at WVU, pointed out that getting healthy is easier as a community.
“And ultimately, I think that part of the solution for the social network is to make sure that we’re not criticizing people for how they look,” he said.
But it hasn’t all been a walk in the park.
Last month, Morrisey shared on social media that he shed 7 pounds walking the Mountaineer Mile. The announcement was met with a mixture of cheers and jeers, ranging from soft advice about the importance of dieting to outright attacks upon his weight.
Most prominent was state Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, the minority whip. Fluharty, known for his bombastic speeches on the House floor, wrote, “Congrats to our Governor for dropping 7 lbs in 6 months. What a streak. At this rate he may not have to wear a T-shirt on the Jersey Shore.”
Fluharty could not be reached for comment.
Morrisey said he isn’t paying the critics much mind.
“There will always be naysayers and folks who want to tear you down instead of build you up,” he said. “It’s best not to pay those people any attention and stay focused on the goal. This initiative isn’t about politics — it’s about encouraging West Virginians to get healthy in a positive way.”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history, compiled by the West Virginia Humanities Council from its online encyclopedia, e-WV.
April 19, 1896: Writer Melville Davisson Post was born in Harrison County. His best-known works are the Randolph Mason series, published in three volumes, and the more successful collection Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries.
April 19, 1902: Author Jean Lee Latham was born in Buckhannon. She wrote a number of children’s books, including Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, which won the 1956 Newbery Award.
April 20, 1823: Gen. Jesse Lee Reno was born in Wheeling. He graduated from West Point in 1846 with another cadet from western Virginia, Thomas J. Jackson, later known as “Stonewall.” Reno was the highest-ranking officer from present West Virginia killed in the Civil War.
April 20, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that in 60 days, West Virginia would become a state. The occasion was marked 100 years later during the state’s Centennial celebration with a special ceremonial session of the West Virginia Legislature on April 20, 1963, in Wheeling.
April 20, 1909: Fiddler Melvin Wine was born near Burnsville in Braxton County. A favorite of old-time music enthusiasts nationally, he was chosen as a National Heritage Fellow in 1991 by the National Endowment for the Arts — the highest recognition given to a folk artist in the United States.
April 20, 1939: Poet Irene McKinney was born in Belington, Barbour County. Gov. Gaston Caperton appointed her state poet laureate in 1993, and she served in that capacity until her death in 2012.
April 21, 1908: Musician Phoeba Cottrell Parsons was born in Calhoun County. Parsons’ traditional clawhammer banjo style, unaccompanied ballad singing, riddles and storytelling have influenced countless younger musicians.
April 21, 1936: President Franklin Roosevelt established the Jefferson National Forest. The West Virginia portion of the forest includes about 19,000 acres in Monroe County.
April 22, 1908: Marshall “Little Sleepy” Glenn was born in Elkins. Glenn coached basketball at West Virginia University from 1934 to 1938 and football from 1937 to 1940. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
April 22, 1948: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and musician Larry Groce was born in Dallas, Texas. He is best known as the longtime host and artistic director of the Mountain Stage radio program.
April 22, 2003: Activist Judy Bonds, a Raleigh County native, received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her fight against mountaintop removal mining. Her efforts inspired thousands and turned a local West Virginia issue into a national cause.
April 23, 1857: Andrew S. Rowan was born in Gap Mills, Monroe County. Rowan, a military officer, was chosen as the messenger when President William McKinley wanted to send a message to Cuban Gen. Calixto Garcia during the Spanish-American War. The 1899 pamphlet A Message to Garcia made the incident famous.
April 24, 1865: McNeill’s Rangers surrendered to Union troops at New Creek — now Keyser. The Confederate guerrilla force probably never numbered more than 100 men at any time but managed to inflict regular damage on Union operations.
April 25, 1863: In what became known as the Jones-Imboden Raid, about 1,500 Confederate soldiers under Gen. William “Grumble” Jones advanced through Greenland Gap, a deep pass through New Creek Mountain in present Grant County. The Confederates encountered 87 Union soldiers who held off several assaults before finally surrendering.
April 25, 1923: Union leader Arnold Ray Miller was born at Leewood on Cabin Creek in Kanawha County. In December 1972, he defeated Tony Boyle to become president of the United Mine Workers and served until 1979.
e-WV is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council. For more information, contact the council at 1310 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25301, call 304-346-8500 or visit wvencyclopedia.org.
During the Gold-Blue spring game on Saturday, the West Virginia coaching staff named wide receiver Cyrus Traught the recipient of the 2026 Tommy Nikolich Award.
The award, which is always given out at the end of spring ball, recognizes a walk-on team member who has distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic. The award is presented in memory of Tommy Nickolich, a former WVU player (1980-82) who passed away from cancer in 1983.
Traugh is a Parkersburg native and graduate of Parkersburg South High School. He began his career at Youngstown State before transferring back home to play for the Mountaineers last season. In his final year with the Penguins, he logged 36 receptions, 409 yards, and a team-leading five touchdowns, two of which came against Pitt.
During the 2025 campaign with the Mountaineers, he saw action against Robert Morris and Kansas, playing 10 snaps against the Jayhawks, but did not record any stats.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez has mentioned him twice this spring as someone who has been doing some good things and making progress. Wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett also showed him some love during his press conference last week.
The Mountaineers completely revamped the wide receiver room this offseason, upping the level of talent at both inside and outside receiver spots, but perhaps Traugh can work his way into the mix if he puts together a strong summer and fall camp. If he’s not a regular in the rotation, he’ll serve as a quality depth piece who can play special teams.
Past Nickolich Award winners:
2025: Clay Ash, RB
2024: Avery Wilcox, S
2023: C.J. Cole, WR
2022: Nick Malone, OL
2021: Graeson Malashevich, WR/H
2020: Osman Kamara, S
2019: Jake Abbott, LB
2018: Evan Staley, K
2017: Nick Meadows, LS
2016: Jon Lewis, DL
2015: Justin Arndt, LB
2014: Michael Calicchio, OL
2013: Connor Arlia, WR
2012: Tyler Anderson, DE
2011: Ryan Nehlen, WR
2010: Matt Lindamood, FB
2009: Josh Taylor, DL
2008: Adam Hughes, LS
2007: Andy Emery, LB
2006: Tim Lindsey, LS
2005: George Shehl, H/DB
2004: Jeff Noechel, LB
2003: John Pennington, WR
2002: Moe Fofana, RB
2001: Jeremy Knapp, TE
2000: Ben Collins, LB
1999: Bryan Lorenz, LB
1998: Mark Corman, TE
1997: David Lightcap, DB
1996: Matt Ceresa, OL
1995: Rob Keys, DB
1994: Randy Fulmore, DB
1993: Matt McCulty, WR
1992: Brett Parise, WR, Ray Wilcox, LB
1991: Keith Taparausky, RB
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