MONKTON — Isabel Brennan, a 22-year-old graduate of Mount Abraham Union High School and St. Lawrence University, is going to solo hike the Appalachian Trail starting in April to raise money for the Ugandan Water Project.
Starting in early April, the Monkton resident will be setting off to solo through-hike of the “AT,” which runs from Georgia to Maine. She said the 2,200-mile journey will take her between five and six months to complete.
“I’m embarking on this journey for a lot of the same reasons that others do: to refresh, to prove to myself that I can overcome a great challenge, and to foster my own personal clarity and happiness,” Brennan wrote on the Uganda Water Project website. “I want to take life at my own pace for a while and, by doing so, develop a greater appreciation for the simple aspects and amenities of everyday that I often overlook… Not to mention, the AT gives me a stellar excuse to be outside for five-six months!”
Brennan is using the hike to raise funds for the Uganda Water Project, which helps provide fresh water to people in the African nation of Uganda. Her goal is to raise $7,500. Learn more about the project and the fundraiser online at ugandanwaterproject.com/campaigns/isabel-brennan.
When Brennan started planning for the Appalachian Trail hike, she wanted it to have an impact on something greater than herself by fundraising for an organization whose mission connected with her through-hiking experience.
“When I looked into Ugandan Water Project, I realized that the same water filtration system that I use on trail is essentially a small scale version of what UWP installs in Uganda to bring clean water to entire communities,” Brennan wrote. “After looking into UWP’s work and the impact that they have had, and continue to have, in Ugandan communities, I decided I wanted to hike for UWP. Now when I’m on trail and I drink out of my Sawyer Squeeze water filter, I’ll be reminded of how my hike is bringing as many as 100 Sawyer filters to communities in Uganda and changing lives in the process!”