Justin Chetney is preparing to embark on a journey that will change his life as well as the lives of two local families.

The Hampton native and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) graduate will start the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail hike from Georgia to Maine on Thursday, March 2, 2023, with a goal of raising $250,000 to benefit Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. Thats enough funds to support construction of Habitat homes that will be sold to two qualified families through the nonprofits first-time homebuyer program.

This has been a dream of Chet's that dates back to his 16th birthday during a family vacation at Luray Caverns. And then time sort of got away from him. Chet earned a scholarship to play football at VMI, where he graduated a history major, and later focused on his career.

A string of events in 2021 reminded Chet he used to be a nature lover who favored the outdoors and its simplicity. Without hesitation, he returned to his dreams of hiking the Appalachian Trail, this time for a cause beyond himself.

Once the hike starts, you can follow Chet in real-time! In the meantime, follow his YouTube page dedicated to the hike here!