“I decided that I was going to either fail or succeed. But I wasn’t going to be complacent.” – Jennifer Pharr Davis
Jennifer Pharr Davis knows what it takes to keep going. As a hiker, she has covered more than 14,000 miles, exploring trails on six continents and in all fifty states. Jennifer has hiked the Appalachian Trail three times. In 2011 she set the fastest known time (FKT) on the A.T., completing the 2,190 mile footpath in 46 days- an average of 47 miles a day- and besting marks established over decades by elite male ultra runners.
As a mother of two, Jennifer has yet to slow down. She backpacked 700 miles across the Pyrenees and Iceland during the second and third trimesters of her first pregnancy, hiked 1,100 miles across North Carolina while nursing her newborn son, and took her daughter on trails in all 50 states before she turned two. Off-trail, Jennifer is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning author, and the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company.
Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband Brew, their children Charlotte and Gus, and a pair of pet goats named Coffee and Cream.
As a leader who is used to being “in harmony” with nature, Jennifer will be sharing her personal stories from the Appalachian Trail and what’s she’s learned about herself from often challenging circumstances outside her control. She’ll share what she’s learned about communication, trusting your instincts and how believing in yourself and your team can help the right pieces all come together.
Accolades and Accomplishments:
- President’s Council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (2021-present)
- IMAX film Into America’s Wild (2020)
- National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professional (2019)
- Asheville (NC) Chamber’s WomanUp Female Entrepreneur of the Year (2019)
- Board of Directors – Appalachian Trail Conservancy (2017-2019)
- Men’s Journal’s “25 Most Adventurous Women of the Past 25 Years” (2017)
- North Carolina Laurel Wreath Award for Athletic Achievement (2016)
- American Hiking Society Ambassador (2014-present)
- National Geographic Adventurer of the Year (2012)
- Ultrarunning magazine’s Performance of the Year (2011)
- Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine Person of the Year (2008)