Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Mark J. Wylie grew up before BLM and LGBTQ rights were front and center; he was also overweight and felt marginalized both for who he was and wasn’t. Upon graduation from Colby College, Mark completed a internship at The Kennedy Center and secured a professional position with Best Buddies – where he has successfully worked for more than 30 years advocating for disability rights.

Realizing a need for radical personal change, Mark was a contestant on The Biggest Loser in 2006. Losing 128 pounds was definitely life changing, though just four years later a catastrophic heart issue required emergency interventions to save his life. Since his recovery in 2010, Mark has been searching for ways to give his life more meaning – and for ways to share that search with others.

Mark has achieved amazing things as part of #walkwithwylie – not only in terms of his own health, but also in the ways he has connected with others – and voiced what they are feeling. The decision to share the artwork from his morning walks came from the audience that grew up around the experience – simply by posting on social media.

Come Walk with Me™ is Mark’s mantra and invitation. It’s a message that is physical and metaphysical.

“Sometimes it seems like we are all frantically looking for the "A-ha" moments, and for those special things that let us know we are truly alive. And yet they are just right there, in front of us. We simply just need to slow down and notice.” - Mark J. Wylie