Lexington kayaker John Wellens finished the trip of a lifetime last Friday.

His trip down the Mississippi River from its headwaters in Wisconsin took 41 days.

It ended 12 miles off the coast of Louisiana at Mile Zero in the Gulf of Mexico.

His trip raised more than $11,000 for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

"The trip was hard on his body," his brother Pete said.

"He was a very athletic 180 pounds at the onset and lost about 20 pounds due to the intense workout.

"He had to buy new clothes in New Orleans because his pants were too loose to wear even with his belt on. 

"He paddled many days for over 12 hours and put in 17 hours on his longest day.

"He paddled 100 miles 1 day.

"John had a multitude of stories along the way. I'm sure he'll always remember this trip fondly."

For more on John  Wellens' trip, see his website, www.namipaddle.org