Jennifer Pharr Davis discusses her journey of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail by herself as a recent college graduate. Importantly, she remarks how her adventure sparked a streak of deep personal growth, and she challenges the audience to recognize that adventures for all people- no matter what their background or their place in life- is not irresponsible.
Jennifer Pharr Davis is a hiker, author, adventure speaker, and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. In 2011, Jennifer covered the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail in forty-six days, eleven hours, and twenty minutes, maintaining a remarkable average of forty-seven miles per day. By doing this, she claimed the overall (male or female) fastest known time on the “A.T.” and became the first woman to set that mark. Jennifer is founder and owner of Asheville-based Blue Ridge Hiking Company (www.blueridgehikingco.com), a guiding service that strives “to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable” for hikers of all ages, genders, and ability levels.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx