A Stamford man who says 9/11 changed his life forever is not just talking the talk, he's walking the walk - literally.

Al Forte, 78, kicked off his two-part Walk for Peace - with his first leg being a couple of miles from Stew Leonard's to Saint Mary's Church in Norwalk.

The second leg starts at the Pentagon on Aug. 8 and ends at Ground Zero in New York City on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Forte tells News 12 that a "narrow escape" gave him a new appreciation for the importance of spreading peace through prayer.

He says the annual walk from Washington, D.C. to Manhattan keeps him in excellent shape, both physically and spiritually.