- What happens when a mother and a daughter
set out on a 2000 mile trek on the Appalachian Trail
just two weeks before a pandemic hits?
Well, they keep on trucking, and they finish that bad boy,
and here to tell us all about their amazing journey,
please welcome Briana and Cambyr Sullivan.
Mothers and daughters!
(audience applauding)
Hi guys!
- Hi, how are you?
- Oh my god, okay.
So you, I have my daughters here today,
so I love mothers and daughters.
It's like, it's everything.
It's my emotional Achilles heel from my own past,
and my journey, and destiny here on earth:
mothers and daughters.
Okay, you traveled 2000 miles all on your own four feet.
Did you do this?
- Well, we actually, I was very interested in nature,
and getting back out into it and reconnecting,
and I'd heard about the Appalachian trail,
but I thought, you know my kids are young.
I won't be able to do this for quite a while.
And that's where Cambyr became the catalyst for this year,
and making it happen.
- Yeah, about a year before we left,
I was on the internet, and I found this amazing thing
called the Appalachian Trail.
It was a six month journey, and a very long walk,
and I told myself I need to do it.
And so I went into my mom, and I was like,
"Next year we're doing that," and we did.
- Can you talk to my daughters after like
we finish this segment, Cambyr?
Thank you.
Okay. Sorry, go on.
I'm like-
- I know it was so incredible because
to prove that she could do this,
she trained for a half marathon,
and she worked out all of the stats and said,
"We can do this.
"We can do 13 miles a day, and we'll finish,
"if we start March 1st, and end August 22nd,
"we can do this."
And not only did we do that, 13 mile days,
but we ended up having a 48 mile day,
because it just, it happened.
She was so positive, and she just made it happen.
- Wow.
Frankie and I took a walk around our neighborhood today.
I guess that really doesn't compare.
(audience laughing)
I mean,
you know, you are so inspiring
to young ladies out there, really,
because you know Olive went to the skate park this weekend
and you know we're always trying to
find ways to be physical.
And I mean, this is, you know, you're a real inspiration.
This is just incredible.
I think you should teach a TED Talk and a Masterclass
right now, two young ladies out there.
What is your advice to try and try something like this?
- You really have to know what you're in for.
You really got to understand that
you will be waking up every day,
you will be walking, and it might be monotonous,
but you got know that you can make it through,
and that you will make it through that.
- Yeah, and I think having a positive outlook,
and always keeping a positive mentality,
and thinking a better thought is really what got us through,
and helped us to maintain our stamina, and our desire.
- I mean, honestly, it is hard to ask you questions,
'cause my jaw is just on the table right here.
I'm so inspired by you two.
By the way, I heard you brought your guitar?
- I did!
I think that it is super important
to keep the positivity going,
and to make sure that you're not bored
from the monotonous routine of just
getting up and hiking every day
with a big pack on your back.
- And Cambyr, were you into the guitar,
or like a month in where you like AirPods in and nodding?
- I loved the guitar.
I thought it was the most amazing thing.
Like so many people just come up to us and be like
"Oh my god, is that a guitar?"
And it was just amazing to have someone musical as my mom,
bringing this amazing skill on-trail,
and it was amazing.
(audience applauding)
- As the mother of two daughters,
I am going to carry you both in my heart,
and try and funnel the inspiration into our family.
Truly, Briana and Cambyr, thank you so much for being here.
(inspiring instrumental music)