National Geographic's "Adventurer of the Year" (2012) here June 2, 7pm

        

         On Monday, June 2 at 7pm, the Dover Public Library will host an inspiring program of adventure, hardship, pain, and triumph. Author and speaker Jennifer Pharr Davis, author, three-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, will discuss her 2011 record-breaking trek, completing the entire Appalachian Trail in 46 days! You’re sure to be motivated by the stories of this world class athlete and wilderness adventurer.

         In 2011, with the support of her husband and a dedicated group of volunteers dubbed the "Pit Crew," Jen hiked, stumbled, and sometimes crawled the 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail at an average of 47 miles per day, becoming the fastest person to hike the trail and the first woman to ever set the mark. She's been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR's Talk of the Nation, Guideposts Magazine, and the CBS Morning Show.

         But Jen's story is not about records or numbers; it's about endurance, faith, and most of all, love. She will speak about the many challenges and lessons that presented themselves along the trail, showing slides from over 12,000 miles of long-distance hiking completed on six different continents. After her presentation, she will be signing copies of her new book, “Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph”, which Kirkus Reviews called "an inspired exploration of the meaning of commitment."

       Jennifer has authored five books, including three North Carolina guidebooks and two Appalachian Trail memoirs. She has also written features for numerous hiking magazines. Her record-breaking Appalachian Trail hike won Ultrarunning Magazine’s “Female Performance of the Year”. And in 2012, National Geographic named her one of ten “Adventurers of the Year”.

      Jennifer is founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company, where she and her staff of dedicated guides strive “to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable through written and spoken word, instruction and guiding,” for novice and experienced hikers alike. Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband Brew and their one-year-old daughter Charley.

      This program is made possible with funds from the Friends of the Dover Public Library. For more information, call the Dover Library 603-516-6050.