After hiking 2,200 miles on the Appalachian Trail, a trip that took almost six months, it's also nice to be with family, enjoy a warm meal and sleep in his own bed.
"There were times that I wasn't having a whole lot of fun, but I never entertained the idea of quitting. I planned on finishing, and I was going to finish," he says.
Fuqua's only break on the trail came after about 1,500 miles when he had to stop to deal with bad blisters. He lost 45 pounds during the journey while consuming as many calories as he could eat. He also celebrated his 56th birthday on the trail.
"It's one of those things that you think about doing for a long time," says Fuqua. "I knew it was time. I didn't want to be 65 and have missed my chance."
Fuqua started hiking when he attended camp as a child in Tuxedo, N.C. He's always loved being outdoors and challenging himself.
"I love to sail and work in the yard and on the farm," he says. "I'm not a desk-job kind of guy."
Fuqua began his hike on March 19, 2018, in Springer Mountain, Ga., and summited Mount Katahdin in Maine on Sept. 9, 2018, to complete the experience. His wife, Allison, met him at the end with a Wofford hat and lots of hugs.
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89