Katie Gunvalson had a calling: traverse the entirety of the 2,700 mile Pacific Crest Trail. This audacious goal was something Gunvalson's younger self would have never considered. But, it's exactly what she did. The PCT, true to its name, follows the crest of the mountain ranges between Canada and Mexico, going through Washington, Oregon, and California, along the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada, and the mountainous desert terrain to the US–Mexico border. And not only did Katie want to get from one end of the PCT to the other, she wanted to do it faster than any other woman ever had. She wanted to set a Fastest Known Time, an FKT, in the south bound direction. That record was set by Jessica Pekari: 63 days, 7 hours, 31 minutes. So that is what Gunvalson prepared to do, for years; and she was ready. But there was one challenge that ultimately presented itself that Gunvalson really hadn't anticipated, and it would cause her to very deeply consider the real purpose of this journey. Katie Gunvalson shares her whole epic story on the podcast. From her difficult and unlikely path to becoming a runner, to discovering and following a calling to cover the entire PCT, and the wild ride of getting from Canada to Mexico. Mentioned in This Episode Liz Derstine on WRS: Her Appalachian Trail FKT Story Support Our Supporters Lagoon Pillows: lagoonsleep.com/WRS15 Use the discount code WRS15 for 15% off your first order YMR Track Club: ymrtrackclub.com Use the discount code WRS20 for 20% off your purchase To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh Coma-Media, via Pixabay RomanBelov, via Pixabay penguinmusic, via Pixabay SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay chillmore, via Pixabay aidanpinsent, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project WRS Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices