80-yo Retired Teacher Bests Disease and Injury to Become Oldest Female Hiker to Finish Appalachian Trail
Betty Kellenberger is an 80-year-old retired schoolteacher from Michigan. She dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail ever since she was a child. She first learned about the trail in elementary school and hoped to hike it one day.
The Appalachian Trail is very long and difficult. It stretches about 2,200 miles across 14 U.S. states, from Maine to Georgia. Many people find it too hard to finish, so they only hike small parts of it.
For many years, Betty could not follow her dream because of work, family, and health problems. Still, she never gave up.
She first tried hiking the trail in 2022, but her hiking partner was injured, and Betty became sick with dehydration, Lyme disease, and a concussion. She tried again in 2023 but had to stop after a bad fall.
Later, Betty had knee replacement surgery and learned that her hiking partner had passed away. This made her even more determined to finish the trail in his honor.
In 2024, Betty returned to the trail. A hurricane damaged many parts of it, forcing her to stop again. She trained every day by climbing stairs at a hospital near her home.
In March 2025, Betty tried once more. The mountains were steep, the weather was bad, and the trail was full of rocks. She often felt tired and unsure, but encouragement from other hikers helped her continue.
On September 12, at age 80, Betty finally completed the Appalachian Trail. She became the oldest woman ever to finish the entire trail.
Her story shows that it is never too late to follow your dream.
Source: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/80-yo-retired-teacher-bests-disease-and-injury-to-become-oldest-female-hiker-to-finish-appalachian-trail/ |
