Be the Ripple

Houma-native Chip Autin is bringing new meaning to the very ideas of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. On December 4, 2024, the local athlete completed a shocking 6-day, 432 mile run across the state of Louisiana– all while raising awareness for drug addiction and celebrating his own 10 year anniversary of sobriety. 

Born and raised in Houma, Chip found a passion for running at an early age, despite an initial dislike of the sport. “I played soccer in high school but I didn’t have much stamina– I had to ask the coach to take me out for breaks throughout the games,” said Chip. “So my dad signed me up for cross country without telling me my junior year, and even though I was mad at first, after a season I fell in love with it.” 

In the years to come, Chip experienced a markedly difficult time in his life– suffering a multi-year drug addiction while his father battled cancer. “My dad was in and out of hospitals for most of his life, and wasn’t the healthiest person. He ended up passing away from brain cancer,” explained Chip. “It hit me one day that I didn’t want to live my life in hospitals, and I decided to take active action to get healthy again.” 

Chip became successfully sober in 2014, and, inspired by his father, picked up running again in May of 2015. Chip’s passion for running stretched further than the average athlete, however, as he became involved in extremely long distance running– often referred to as “ultra running” or “ultra marathons.” This interest in pushing his physical endurance led to the inspiration for his recent 432 mile run. 

“I was gearing up to run my second hundred-mile race, and normally when an event is getting close to happening, I start setting goals for what I’d like to do after it’s done,” explained Chip. “I knew I wanted to do something special to mark my 10 year anniversary of sobriety, and it had always been an idea in the back of my mind to run LA 1. I knew that would be an amazing way to mark this accomplishment, all while raising awareness about drug addiction.” 

Louisiana Highway 1 is the longest highway in the state, beginning on the northwest state border with Texas and winding diagonally through Shreveport, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, and Thibodaux, before finally ending in Grand Isle. 

Chip quickly started preparing for this feat in October of 2023, roughly a year before the run would take place. “We knew this would be a huge undertaking, and I couldn’t do it without support,” said Chip. “I contacted my friends and support team– Wally and Nikki Naquin, Stephanie Fulton, and Lance Wesley– and told them about the idea, and they said, ‘When do we start?'” In January of 2024, physical training for this run officially began. 

Although Chip had run hundreds of miles before, preparation for his 432 mile run across the state of Louisiana pushed him to limits he never expected. “I felt very confident in my training, and I never had any doubts– I knew I was physically and mentally prepared to handle it,” said Chip. “However, in the months and weeks leading up to the run, there were so many difficulties I never expected.” 

Chip experienced a slew of obstacles during the training process, including hurricane scares, stress, and difficulty fitting his daily training around an already demanding work schedule. “There were days I would wake up at 1:00 in the morning to get my run in, because I had to travel several hours for work that day,” said Chip. “I was exhausted.” 

Scheduling challenges were only part of the stress Chip and his team faced, as several physical ailments threatened to derail the training process over the course of 2024. From minor injuries to serious health concerns, Chip worked with physical therapists to promote active recovery while still training, and pushed through the pain to remain on schedule. 

Finally, on November 27, 2024, Chip began his 432 mile run on LA 1 in northwest Louisiana– and touched the highway’s dead end in Grand Isle at 2:30 AM on December 4, 2024. Chip’s impressive time of 6 days and 22 hours far exceeded his projected completion time of 7-10 days. During this incredible 6-day journey, Chip continued to post on his social media to update followers on his progress, raise awareness about drug addiction and recovery, answer questions, and mark his own 10 year anniversary of sobriety. 

“I struggled with the idea of ever being worth anything to the world after quitting drugs. I felt like I would always be judged by my past and seen as a former junkie who would never amount to anything,” said Chip. “God laid out a path for me even though I have battled my faith and questioned Him for many years. He never gave up on me, though, and He continued to guide me to the place where He needed me.” 

For Chip, the most rewarding part of the 432 mile run was the last day, and seeing what an impact his run had on those in the community. “I almost didn’t share that I was going to complete this run, because I honestly didn’t think anyone would care about the run or the message,” chuckled Chip. “So even when I first announced it and it caught a lot of attention, I was still in denial that people cared. But once I got to Thibodaux, so many people started coming out to cheer me on for the final stretch of the run, with posters, words of support, car honks and more– It was incredible to see how the message had inspired so many people.” 

As Chip begins an extensive few months of recovery following this incredible run, he continues to look forward to what he might do next. “I have a few things in mind– I would love to run the longest highways in every state as a part of raising drug addiction awareness,” said Chip. “To anyone out there struggling in active addiction, or in recovery but insecure in your future, know that you have a purpose. You don’t have to run 432 miles to be extraordinary, you already are extraordinary. Stop being afraid of what the world thinks of you– become the ripple in others lives so that they may be the ripple to others!” 

Chip continues to be a testament to the power of resilience, purpose, and community: spreading the lesson that recovery is possible, and every step forward is a victory. As he continues his journey—both as an athlete and an advocate—Chip hopes his example will inspire others to find their own path to strength, healing, and the belief that they too can accomplish the unimaginable.