Meet Dr. Keith McNally
Dr. Keith McNally is a disabled United States Marine combat veteran, speaker, educator, podcast host, and founder of the Trail to Transformation Foundation. But before any of those titles existed, there was a man fighting to survive.
Between 1996 and 2021, Keith made five attempts against his own life while struggling with the invisible wounds of military service, including post-traumatic stress, depression, and the emotional isolation many veterans experience after leaving the military. In 2022, following years of internal battles, his body finally gave out and he suffered a heart attack.
That moment became a turning point.
Faced with the reality that another second chance was not guaranteed, Keith began rebuilding his life one step at a time. He changed his lifestyle, rebuilt his health, formed meaningful relationships, and began having honest conversations about trauma, identity, healing, and purpose. Those conversations eventually led to podcasting and public advocacy work focused on helping veterans rediscover life after service.
What began as short walks for survival slowly transformed into something much bigger.
Nature became refuge. Movement became medicine. And the trail became a symbol of healing, resilience, and transformation.
Today, Keith trains alongside his loyal trail companion, Ashley, for a 2,198-mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. What started as five-mile walks has grown into long-distance endurance training carrying a forty-pound rucksack across miles of trail each week. But this journey is not about proving toughness. It is about demonstrating that healing is possible, even after years of struggle.
The Appalachian Trail has become more than a personal challenge. It is now part of a larger mission.
That mission became the Trail to Transformation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans rediscover identity, purpose, connection, and hope through nature-based experiences, movement, community, education, and shared healing journeys.
Keith’s long-term vision is simple, but deeply personal:
No Veteran Should Die By Suicide.
Through the Foundation, the annual Appalachian Trail journey serves not only as a living symbol of resilience, but also as a fundraising and awareness initiative supporting veterans who are searching for hope beyond survival.
Keith believes that healing does not always begin in a hospital room or a classroom. Sometimes, it begins with a conversation, a connection, a trail, or simply the decision to take one more step forward.
And that is what Trail to Transformation exists to help veterans do.
As Keith often says:
“I will see you on the trail.”
Board of Directors
Suzanne Jabour
Grief Educator & Coach
Mitch Gray
Community Organizer
Diane Wyzga
Story Teller
Advisory Board
Laura Cross
Michelle Collins
David Oaks
Copyright © 2021 - 2025. Made with Groove.cm - All rights reserved.