The stepfather who always believed in her was with her at the end, as his ashes rested inside her necklace while she crossed the finish line.

Brooke Johnson had just become the first woman to cross the United States on a skateboard—a record-setting 3,226-mile journey that began in Santa Monica, California and ended when she walked into the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach after 119 days on the road.

The 29-year-old lifted her skateboard over her head and couldn’t help but think about Roger, the man who made it all happen—even though he was only there in spirit.

Late in his life, Brooke’s stepfather broke his C5 vertebrae and became a quadriplegic. His health continued to decline until he passed away last year.

As time was running out, stepfather and daughter often talked about Brooke’s

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