Steps4Hope

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,198.4-mile footpath that extends from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is designated as a National Scenic Trail and is one of the most popular hiking trails in the United States. Most people hike the trail in small sections. However, every year there are a couple thousand people that attempt to thru-hike the trail. Thru-hiking is the act of hiking a long-distance trail with continuous footsteps in one direction. For the Appalachian Trail, it takes about five to seven months on average to complete a thru-hike. At this point, you may be wondering why someone would ever want to do this?

My name is Brendan and I’m 26 years old from West Chester, Pennsylvania. About five years ago, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life and discovered the benefits of physical activity for both my physical and mental health. I played a handful of different sports growing up like baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and golf. Aside from playing sports, I never spent very much time outdoors. A little over two years ago, one of my friends brought me on a nine-mile hike that included part of the Appalachian Trail. I fell in love with hiking instantly. I love spending time outdoors and the physical and mental challenges of hiking. I started with a bunch of day-long hiking trips but started to become curious about doing overnights. I kept wanting to do more miles and knew that I could do longer trails by staying overnight. I did a copious amount of research and bought all the gear for my first backpacking trip this past July. After this first trip, I knew that I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail and would do everything I could to make that happen. Since then, I’ve done several backpacking trips and have spent countless hours researching, training, and preparing for this trip. Steps4Hope is a cause that is close to my heart and I hope to raise as much money as possible for this great foundation.