cultivating community in a meaningful way.

We hope to elevate the heart work of our Athlete Advocates. If you’re an individual with a platform or a company that wants to be in this heart work of justice, equity, diversity, access, safety, and inclusion - we have incredible voices that you can amplify. We are here to establish relationships with partners, organizations, and companies, to work collectively to a shared common goal and future those who have felt oppressed, harmed by the systems and tactics of the running industry, the unheard, and where all bodies, are respected, visible, protected and heard. We will be able to learn from each other’s lived experience and create a support system for each other to safely and successfully do this heart work for not only ourselves, but for our community and the next generations.

We are running with purpose. We are running for justice. We are running in prayer. We are running for healing. We are running for community. We are running for the safety of our communities.

WHY RUNNING WITH PURPOSE?

Kul Wičasa Lakota. Pronouns: She/They.
Fourth generation runner. Passion advocate, running in prayer for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirits, and Relatives - intersecting running and advocacy. Founder & Organizer of Rising Hearts - uplifting Indigenous voices and efforts, cultivating community for intersectional collaboration and fighting for a better future for our next seven generations to come. A filmmaker. Fighting for runner’s safety, the safety for Indigenous, Black, Asian, POC, Two Spirit, LGBTQ+, Non-binary kin, Peoples with Disabilities, for voices and bodies who do not see themselves in the spaces they want to be part of and enjoy, and pushing for meaningful justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts within the running, outdoor, organizational, institutional, and company spaces.

Jordan Marie Daniel (now, Whetstone), is ran the 2019 Boston Marathon with a red hand print over her mouth and the letters MMIW painted on her arms and legs, dedicating a mile in prayer, to 26 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Ever since that last minute decision, within an hour of getting to the start line in Hopkington, Jordan has used her running platform to bring awareness to this epidemic, to social and climate justice issues, and to elevate opportunities to support those in need. No longer focusing on getting that brand sponsorship or the fast time, Jordan recognized that running has transformed for her into a deeper, more selfless purpose. She found her ‘WHY.’ Her purpose. The ambitions to one day get an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier and to represent the Brings Three White Horses family at the Olympic Trials is still there and feels that having a deeper purpose in awareness and community building, will only help to make that dream come true one day. Now, it’s about community building, pushing the running and outdoor industries to do better, to ensure that those not included, do not feel like a check in the box and to encourage sponsors and brands, that if you support an athlete with an advocacy background, to create the infrastructure to support the Athlete Advocate and their community. Jordan’s life changed quickly and brought her into a whole new world of running and meeting other inspiring individuals who are advocates and using their sport to do the same. Not wanting to feel alone in this and wanting to learn from others, Running With Purpose Collective was created to bring like minded bodies together to do this heart work collectively.