Nels Matson ran across the country to fulfill the dying wishes of a fallen Navy SEAL.

Matson, an Iowa State graduate and former Cyclone wrestler, began his 3,067-mile run in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 8 after training for four years. He ran for 46 days, reaching New York City on Oct. 24 with the boots of fallen Navy SEAL Christopher Campbell around his neck.

Born with a congenital heart defect that left him with a hole in his heart and required open-heart surgery, Matson is no stranger to endurance sports, especially when there’s a cause he can run for.

In both 2010 and 2011, Matson bicycled across the country for the Children’s Heart Foundation. In 2013, he ran 1,200 miles from Bradenton, Florida, to the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Washington to raise money for seven children in Cambodia to receive heart surgery through Hearts Without Boundaries.

However, the cause that Matson recently ran for was something unique in itself.

According to the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Campbell was one of 30 American service members who were killed in action during a mission in the Wardak Province in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011. He had served in the Navy for 15 years.

In his will, Campbell made a call to action for 100,000 people to donate to the Wounded Warriors Project, a veteran services organization that provides life-saving services and programs to wounded veterans.

While working at an accounting firm, Matson said he was initially informed of this effort to raise funds for wounded veterans after his colleague Cindy Campbell, the sister of Chief Petty Officer Campbell, gave him a book that spoke about her brother’s life and the legacy he wanted to leave behind.

“If he didn’t make it home, he wanted 100,000 people to contribute to Wounded Warrior Project because he wanted to help his brothers and sisters who did make it home,” Matson said. “That was really inspirational to me. Just to think about this guy who served our country and then was so thoughtless, even thoughtful, even if he wasn’t here, he still wanted to continue helping.”

While training, Matson became injured and had to postpone his run for two years. In January, the original goal of 100,000 donations was completed, currently standing at over 130,000 donations. From then on, Matson decided to use the 3,067-mile journey as a victory lap to celebrate the fundraising feat.

“I decided to set a goal to raise $100 per mile for the miles that I was running across the U.S. to just honor his legacy and also continue to help veterans who… Chris thought were very important to help and continue to help,” Matson said.

So far, Matson has raised $35,000 for Project Campbell’s Call. He completed his transcontinental run in 46 days, 17 hours and 26 minutes, running through 12 states in the process.

Cindy Campbell spoke about seeing Matson carry on her brother’s legacy.

“It’s a boy born with a broken heart that was healed, and then my brother’s heart stopped beating, and he took my brother’s heart’s message and he carried it forward across the United States,” Campbell said. “I think it’s just beautiful.”

Savannah Simmons, the community fundraising manager at the Wounded Warrior Project, spoke about the importance of Matson’s fundraising campaign.

“Nels wanted to continue that legacy, and he often says the greatest casualty is being forgotten,” Simmons said. “So he is just a true inspiration to those who want to fundraise in multiple different ways.”

Simmons also spoke about the unique nature of the campaign.

“Not everyone can run his 3,063 miles across the country, but his very unique way to make an impact not only raised money, but awareness for those veterans who are suffering and need assistance,” Simmons said.

For more information on Matson’s journey, visit this website.

Chris Campbell:

Chris Campbell, the youngest of three siblings, was born Sept. 16, 1974 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He was described by his sister, Cindy, as a very determined person with a positive energy, which he showed from a young age.

“[He had] this determined spirit about him, and he was so happy,” Cindy said. “I think because he just had this really positive attitude, people were drawn to him, and he always saw the positive in life.”

She said she was surprised when her brother joined the Navy. She said he did express some interest in joining the Navy after meeting a Navy SEAL while lifeguarding.

“He was just a total surfer guy,” Cindy said. “He went to community college, he was a lifeguard, he was at the beach. So he just had a great couple years, and then in the fall of ‘96 he went to basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois.”

While serving as a Navy SEAL, Campbell was stationed in several different areas around the country, including Texas, California, Florida and Virginia.

Cindy shared how she received letters from her brother while he served overseas and kept them to show him after he returned.

“Chris was in the Navy for almost 15 years, and my plan was when he retired, I was going to package them up and give them to him so he could see his journey,” Cindy said. “Then I went back to them… and I’m just like, I can’t do this. It’s just a reminder of the person that I lost, the person that I missed, the person that I’ll never have conversations with.”

Chief Petty Officer Campbell was a member of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), commonly known as SEAL Team Six. While in service, Campbell received multiple awards, including two Bronze Star Medals with Valor, a Purple Heart Medal and several other personnel and unit decorations.

According to the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chief Petty Officer Campbell and 22 members of the Naval Special Warfare community, along with a team of U.S. Army and Afghanistan military personnel, responded to reports of a U.S. Army Special Forces team under fire after attempting to retrieve a high-value target on Aug. 6, 2011.

Upon returning to base, the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter, known as “Extortion 17,” transporting Campbell and his team was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all members onboard.

30 U.S. military servicemen and one U.S. service dog were killed. Seven Afghan National Army Commandos and one Afghani civilian interpreter were also killed.