Jennifer Pharr Davis: 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year

by Jacob Gordon

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It’s not every day that a nationally famous hiker walks through the doors of Appalachian Outdoors, but Tuesday, May 20^th is one of those days. Appalachian Outdoors is proud to welcome endurance athlete Jennifer Pharr Davis as she’ll be giving a presentation on her new book Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph.

Jennifer Pharr Davis didn’t do much to earn the honor of being National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year in 2012; she only completed the Appalachian Trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, setting a new endurance record for both male and female times. For those wondering, that’s a pace of 47 miles per day!

On the whole, Jennifer has hiked over 12,000 miles across six different continents and completed thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trial on three different occasions. Along with the Appalachian Trail record, Jennifer has at least held the endurance records for Australia’s 620-mile Bibbulmun Track and for Vermont’s 280-mile Long Trail.

Besides National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Jennifer has won several other accolades over the years. In 2008, Jennifer was named Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine’s Person of the Year. Her record-setting AT hike in 2011 won Ultrarunning Magazine’s Female Performance of the Year. Jennifer has also been featured on an array of programs, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Daily Beast, GuidepostsMagazine, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and the CBS Morning Show, and she has appeared on the cover of Experience Life magazine.

When Jennifer isn’t tearing up the hiking trails, she’s living it up in Asheville, North Carolina and running her own hiking business, Blue Ridge Hiking Company, which she started back in 2008. Blue Ridge Hiking Company is dedicated to ensuring novice and experienced hikers alike get the most out of their next hike by getting them outdoors and on the trail in the hikers’ own terms. Blue Ridge Hiking provide custom trips and itineraries for their customers, creating the perfect experience.

And if that’s not enough to keep Jennifer busy, she’s also authored five books including three guide books and two Appalachian Trail memoirs.

Her most recent book, Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph, is so much more than a recounting of her records or experiences; it’s about endurance, faith, and love. This will be the focus of Jennifer’s talk at Appalachian Outdoors, and for more information, please see our blog post on the upcoming event.

Needless to say, we’re beyond excited to have Jennifer walk through our doors. Her experiences, stories, and energy are going to be something to behold.