Miller Goes the Extra Mile with Project Purple
Project Purple is excited to partner with Jeremy Miller, a running influencer from Austin, TX, for the 2024 London Marathon! Miller has been part of the running community since 2018, and has used his platform to help show other runners how to get into the sport. Now, Miller is looking forward to introducing himself to our Project Purple community and doing his part in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
“It’s my first time doing this, so I’m really excited,” Miller said about the partnership. “In the past, every race I’ve ever done has just been because I want to go do it, I want to run this time or this distance. So I’m excited to have it be a little more selfless and be able to tie a bigger purpose. I’m excited to have it be not just about me running and having a greater goal.”
Running Towards a New Passion
Miller was not always the star runner he is today. Though he had always been into athletics, he had never enjoyed running. However, while in college Miller felt that he was floundering, and turned to running as a way to help find focus.
“I heard David Goggins’ story about running 100 miles with no training and using running as a tool to explore more of yourself,” said Miller, “and I was like, ‘that sounds really interesting. Maybe I should try running again.’”
Miller decided to tackle this new sport head-on by running one mile every day. Slowly, as he learned more about running and fitness, Miller refined his technique and turned his sights towards long-distance running. His first race was a twelve-hour endurance challenge. Despite having no training, Miller decided to test his limits. Though he admits this might not have been the best move, he found that this race gave him the confidence he needed to pursue his running career.
“I was like, ‘What if I trained for something and did it the right way? I would probably be kind of good at this and do some cool stuff,’” Miller remembers, “so that’s how I got even more obsessed… I realized if I had goals set, I could do something really cool with running.”
Miller has found that running has not only helped him stay physically fit but also has given him the space he needs to unwind and connect with himself.
“I think with phones and social media, there’s some kind of stimulus at all hours of the day it seems like,” said Miller. “But with running, I don’t wear headphones, I don’t listen to music or podcasts or anything. It’s literally just me and my thoughts. So I have an hour every day to just run and think and meditate essentially.”
Miller has since taken his hobby for the sport and created a personal brand centered around his career as a runner. He has created an Instagram page, personal podcast, and YouTube channel to showcase his running journey with the world. Recently, Miller expanded his brand, creating a supplement company, Switchback, which sells all-natural electrolyte supplements to help runners stay hydrated. All of Miller’s platforms are focused on sharing informational content about running and fitness as well as the personal milestones he has made throughout his journey.
“I didn’t see a lot of high-quality content in the running space,” said Miller, “so I was like maybe I can fill that gap and be the source of high-quality informational content. And again, knowing where I used to be with running and not having any information or knowledge, I wanted to help people avoid that and skip all of the things I did to help them fast forward their journey a little bit.”
Since starting his running career, Miller has run a variety of different types of races, from half marathons to ultras, but has never had a chance to partner with a charity. Now, Miller is excited to use the sport he loves to help spread awareness about pancreatic cancer.
Platform with a Purpose
Miller is excited to get the chance to use his platform to spread awareness about pancreatic cancer. He feels that part of the power of social media is bringing people together, which is what he hopes to do through this partnership.
“I think one of the most powerful things about content and social media, as bad of a rap as it gets for being negative or people wasting time on it, I think there is a lot of good that can come from social media,” said Miller, “and one of the things is awareness for charities like this. I want to create the best high-quality content that we can, providing as much information and knowledge for people, not just about Project Purple but pancreatic cancer.”
Miller will be appearing on the Project Purple podcast, as well as posting content to his Instagram page about his journey to London and how to get involved with Project Purple.
“When you look at Jeremy’s page it’s obvious that he cares about educating his audience and empowering them as well, which is something we really connect with here at Project Purple,” said Sam DaCosta, Marketing Manager for Project Purple.
Miller didn’t know much about Project Purple before partnering with the organization, but he couldn’t be happier to get to know the community behind the organization.
“Everyone seemed like great people, and I love the mission they are going after,” said Miller.
For Project Purple, this partnership is the perfect way to help our community learn more about running and training, while also educating other runners about Project Purple and our mission.
“Teaming up with Jeremy seemed like a really easy fit. We really appreciate how he has informative and educational content, because we focus heavily in educating our base about pancreatic cancer and the wonderful programs we have,” said DaCosta. “We’re excited to expose our audience to such an informative person in the running community and to put our mission in front of his audience. It’s a great match for a partnership!”
Being part of the Project Purple community has opened up a lot of opportunities that Miller is excited to take advantage of. Having a community of runners is something that he has always seen as a priority when it comes to keeping yourself accountable. He’s excited to connect with fellow athletes through the London 2024 Project Purple run team and form lifelong bonds within our community.
“I don’t think there is any better way to get that sense of community than suffering together,” Miller joked. “There’s just a sense of comradery that comes with it, that kind of suffering together, especially a marathon. You do a marathon with a friend, you will probably never be closer.”
Miller is looking forward to making lifelong friends at Project Purple and working with the organization in the future to help spread awareness about pancreatic cancer. Keep up with Miller’s journey to London with Project Purple on his Instagram page. Please visit the Project Purple run page to see how you can get involved in races and other physical challenges with Project Purple!
Miller Goes the Extra Mile with Project Purple
Project Purple is excited to partner with Jeremy Miller, a running influencer from Austin, TX, for the 2024 London Marathon! Miller has been part of the running community since 2018, and has used his platform to help show other runners how to get into the sport. Now, Miller is looking forward to introducing himself to our Project Purple community and doing his part in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
“It’s my first time doing this, so I’m really excited,” Miller said about the partnership. “In the past, every race I’ve ever done has just been because I want to go do it, I want to run this time or this distance. So I’m excited to have it be a little more selfless and be able to tie a bigger purpose. I’m excited to have it be not just about me running and having a greater goal.”
To follow along with Jeremy’s content and story, click here to visit his Instagram.
