Meet Mike, Team TC South Alumni Run Mentor
A Follow-up Story 2015 - 2025
“When Alumni Member Mike Braun joined Team TC South this fall as a new Run Mentor, he brought with him two “relics” of his time as a Resident Member of Team Higher Ground Minneapolis over a decade ago: His MiMS wristband, an old-school version black-and-white version that reads “Every Mile Changes You” and a pair of Craft winter running gloves. “This band meant a lot to me because MiMS means a lot to me,” he shared about the wristband. “And, well, these are really quality gloves!” Mike had gotten the gloves as soon as he joined the Higher Ground team in December 2014, back when MiMS was one team, not an official organization, and ran straight through the winter months. “Those mornings were bitterly cold, but you guys gave us all the gear we needed.”
Mike was in a rough place that winter, back and forth between a bunk in the shelter and sleeping in his car, but even when he had missed out on getting a bed he still tried to show up for the morning run. “I might miss a run or two, and I’d feel badly about it and nervous about returning, but you guys would always welcome me with open arms, no questions asked.”
He ran nearly 100 miles with MiMS that year, including the Lake Johanna 4 miler, his first-ever race. All the while he was actively battling an addiction that had left him with very few relationships. “I had burnt every bridge with my family. I had nothing left. MiMS was the only thing positive thing that I had in my life at that time. It was the highlight of my day.”
The impact his Mile in My Shoes experience had on him is something Mike thinks about a lot. After years of following the organization’s growth, he found the courage a few months ago to fill out a Run Mentor application. “MiMS has always been at the back of my mind,” he shared. “The camaraderie, the support, no judgement, open arms. I’ve worn my blue shirt out!” About thirty seconds after he submitted the Mentor application, his phone rang. “It was Rebecca calling me, she was so excited!” He soon joined the team based at Teen Challenge recovery program for men, running as a Mentor on Tuesday evenings after his delivery shifts. “It feels good to come back because I have been in their shoes. I can relate to them. And it feels good to give back after all MiMS gave to me,” he reflects. “You showed up for me when no one else would.”
What’s next for Mike? “Well I heard at the run the other day someone mention the Distance Team, so I think I’ll throw my name in for that. I’d love to run a marathon.” Now that he has reconnected with MiMS, he hopes to be a part of the group for a long time. “This group showed me that there were people out there who cared, and that there was good in the world if you can find it.”
While still at the shelter Mike began a temp job working at Kemps, which eventually led to a full time-position. “You guys gave me great running shoes, and I wore them to work and eventually ruined them, but you all found it in your heart to give me another pair,” he recalls. Thanks to the consistent work he was able to move out of the shelter in the fall of 2015 and into his own place. By that point, though, the running thing had stuck. “I went out this morning!” he laughs. “I still run a 4.5 mile loop pretty much every morning. Running clears my head and it brings me joy.” It’s also been helpful in keeping him focused - he has been working steadily at Kemps since 2015.