ECU to host Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis
East Carolina University will host athlete, author, speaker and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis. The program will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the Mendenhall Building Room 244.
Davis has logged more than 14,000 miles of long-distance trails on six continents. In 2011, she set the overall fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail by hiking 47 miles a day for 46 straight days. Davis has written articles for The New York Times, Outside magazine, Backpacker and Trail Runner, and has been featured in the Washington Post, NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” and the CBS “Early Show.”
“Jennifer’s visit is in support of this year’s Pirate Read, ‘The Nature Principle,’” said Karen Smith, associate director of ECU’s Office of Student Transitions. “Her love of the outdoors is infectious and will encourage students to get outside and reconnect with nature, which according to ‘The Nature Principle’ author Richard Louv, can ‘boost mental acuity and creativity and promote health and wellness.’”
The ECU Pirate Read orients first-year students to the academic community, prepares students for the college-level environment, allows students to share a common reading experience, and enables the discussion of ideas from the book across the curriculum. A committee of faculty, staff and students selects the book and coordinates activities with departments within academic and student affairs.
Davis will be sharing slides and stories, answering questions and signing copies of her new book, “The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience,” which Kirkus Reviews calls “a captivating narrative guidebook that will inspire readers to test their own limits, on the trail and off.”
The event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by The Oakwood School.
For additional information, contact Karen Smith in the Office of Student Transitions at 252-328-4173 or visit https://pirateread.ecu.edu.
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ECU News Services
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Phone: 252-328-6481
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Contact: Karen Smith, associate director for the office of student transitions, smithka@ecu.edu
Telephone: 252-328-4173
Event Date: Oct. 1
Note to the Media: Jennifer Pharr Davis will be available to speak to the media prior to her presentation. All requests should be submitted in writing to Karen Smith no later than Sept. 27.