In 1982, Louis Michael Figueroa ran across the United States in 1982 to raise funds and awareness for his friend, who was a victim of bone cancer. A high school student at that time, Figueroa undertook his journey from New Jersey to San Francisco, raising money for the American Cancer Society. Figueroa’s line, “When I got tired, I slept, when I got hungry, I ate….” were immortalised 12 years later by Tom Hanks in his award-winning role of Forrest Gump.
