Charity Stoltz

Is it possible to actually choose just one National Park? Obviously, I dream of visiting them all! Since I’m new to the west coast, my first goal is to take a road trip along the west coast and travel to every National Park along the way. I want to hit some of the bigger, popular hikes in each and then spend time exploring the less traveled trails to find the hidden gems others may pass by.

Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail! As I trekked along the beautiful and rugged mountains and valleys all along the east coast, I tackled some of my own personal peaks and valleys meeting friends that became family along the way. If there's one thing thru-hiking taught me, it was how to embrace solitdue, forge my own path, and invest in people who believed in me as much as I believed in myself. In 5 months in the woods, I saw the best and worst of mother nature. Theres nothing that scares me now!

I dream of helping others get outside to explore. Nature has so much to offer to our mind, body, and spirit and everyone should have a chance to experience these benefits. I have mentored a few people seeking to complete a thru-hike and want to continue helping people get outside in any way I can. If I win, I want to donate some of the winnings to Ability360's Outdoor program so that they can continue to provide the equipment and supplies necessary to get people who have disabilities outside.