Published on August 1, 2011  

Samford Classics alumna Jennifer Pharr Davis '04 is has broken the record for assisted thru-hike of the complete Appalachian trail. Her time of 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes breaks the previous record by almost 24 hours.

In 2008 Davis broke the women's record for a supported thru-hike, a feat chronicled in her adventure memoir, Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail. The book explores Davis' physical and emotional transformation through the grueling 57 day, 8 hour journey.

For her Appalachian Trail record Davis was named 2008 Outdoor Person of the Year by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. To date, she has hiked more than 9,000 miles of long distance trails on six continents and hold endurance records on the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail and Bibbulmun Track. She founded Blue Ridge Hiking Co. to make the wildnerness accessible and enjoyable through written and spoken word, instruction and guiding.

 

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.