Food is like a torture device because hiking 47 miles a day is hard enough. And then you're trying to get down 6,000 calories a day. Every hour, I needed a snack, every few hours I had to take in a meal and it's just not food, it's fuel. You're not enjoying it - you're seriously shoving it in your mouth and following it with water, juice or Gatorade.

I'd always had an interest of pushing my limits and was intrigued by endurance.

One thing I think I've always felt about being in nature is that it's a very natural taste.

I was surrounded by life and beauty. My soul was content, and my life felt full.

A lot of people talk about the trail healing them, but I feel like, the first time, it humbled me, which I probably needed. It was a completely new way to experience the world and my body.

Our bodies are made to move, and moving down the trail is one of the oldest, natural ways people have used their bodies.

Going into the woods, you can go as fast or as slow as you want. It's restorative. Even when I was young, the wilderness offered not only adventure but also therapy and peace: a place to be alone with your thoughts.