Called Again A Story of Love and Triumph

Jennifer Pharr Davis first hiked the Appalachian Trail as a 21-year-old college graduate. When she returned to the trail in 2008, she had just gotten married, and set out with the on-trail support of her new husband Brew, to see if she could accomplish something great: breaking the womens speed record. When she blew away the old record of 88 days with her new one of 57 days, she was rightly proud of herself. But she couldnt quiet the nagging voice in her head that said she could have done it faster. Brew miraculously agreed to spend another summer supporting Jen on the trail, fulfilling all her needs and letting her focus on trying to break the all-time Appalachian Trail record of hiking 2180 miles in 47 days. But in spite of the strength of her relationship and Brews selfless support, the new hike tests her in ways she never imagined, physically and emotionally. As her body breaks down and her support crew is a little less supportive than she needs, she begins to wonder if she can achieve her super-human dream.

Jennifer Pharr Davis grew up in the North Carolina Mountains, where she developed a love for hiking at a young age. At age twenty-one, Jennifer hiked the entire Appalachian Trail as a solo female and fell in love with long-distance backpacking.Since then, Jennifer has hiked more than 11,000 miles on six different continents, with North American hikes including the Pacific Crest Trail, Vermont's Long Trail, and the Colorado Trail, and completed three thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail. She has hiked and traveled on six continents; some of the highlights include Mount Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and the 600-mile Bibbulmun Track in Australia.In the summer of 2011, Jennifer topped her own 2008 Women's Endurance Record for the fastest thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, making her the overall record holder for both women and men. Jennifer is the first woman to hold the overall title.Jennifer hiked from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. Her goal was to hike the entire 2,180-mile faster than the current overall speed record of 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes, which she did in 46 days.To break the record, Jennifer hiked an average of 47 miles a day, camping along the trail. She had trail support from legendary ultra-runner and former AT and Pacific Crest Trail speed record holder David Horton, as well as veteran AT expert Warren Doyle and Davis' husband, Brew Davis. Her hiking and backpacking accomplishments, as well as her influence as an outdoor role model, are remarkable and momentous.Jennifer is a 2012 National Geographic Top Adventurer of the Year nominee for her record-breaking thru-hike, has been on CNN, The Early Show, NPR numerous times, and was featured in Fitness Magazine and Shape magazine, among others. Jennifer has also written for Trail Runner magazine, Away.com, is a frequent contributor to Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, and has written three guidebooks. Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, and is the owner and founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Co.