Hear Her Sports

Liz Derstine is a musician, runner, writer, and as of 2020, a long-distance hiker. On July 7, 2020, she embarked on the life-altering adventure of through-hiking the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail, as quickly as possible. Now, having had several years to reflect on this epic journey, Derstine tells her whole AT story: from what inspired her to want to hike the entirety of this daunting trail, to how it all went down, through to the many ways her life has changed as a result of transporting herself on foot, through the wilderness, from Georgia to Maine. At its core, this is a journey of self-discovery. Since her record-setting AT hike, Derstine has continued to embark on incredible multiday hiking adventures. She now holds many Fastest Known Time (FKT) records, including among others the Long Trail FKT for a self-supported woman. Most recently, on July 1, 2023, she set the FKT for a self-supported woman on the Via Alpina in Switzerland, finishing in just under seven days. Derstine currently lives and Boston, and