On May 1st, former Special Forces Medic Casey Fulp started his 2,175-mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. His journey will start at Georgia鈥檚 Springer Mountain, and will carry him through 14 states to Maine鈥檚 Mt. Katahdin.
Casey is hiking to show his support for wounded and disabled veterans. A former Special Forces Medic with the U.S. Army, Casey was severely injured in a civilian motorcycle accident in 2008. In addition to undergoing emergency spleen removal surgery, Casey sustained several other injuries, including a broken sternum, a broken left radius and ulna, and head trauma.
Unable to continue serving in the military himself, Casey has decided to honor fellow wounded and disabled soldiers through his Hike for the Veterans campaign. Casey is hiking on behalf of , a non-profit organization that provides service Fellowships to post-9/11 wounded and disabled veterans. The has recorded less than 12,000 people completing this full-through hike since the 1930s, when the trail was created. Casey has been training for months, and he says he is prepared to face challenges along the way.
“Your life may change due to injuries, but your goals don't have to…just the way you go about achieving them,鈥 says Casey. 鈥淓veryone has their journey. You just have to be willing to take it.”
Casey will be documenting his journey through a trail journal.聽 You will also be able to see Casey鈥檚 progress via GPS Tracker and Google Maps, available on his page.
People like Casey help us realize that we can always push ourselves 鈥 a little farther and a little harder than we thought possible.
鈥擡RIC GREITENS, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Chief Inspiration Officer and 2010 Reader of the Year.
For more information on 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 next Reader of the Year search, visit after May 26 and nominate someone who inspires you.