A former Memphian turned “fulltime adventurer” is running across the state of Mississippi — sometimes in an Elvis jumpsuit (hello, Tupelo!), sometimes in a unicorn onesie (so long, Oxford!) — to promote the idea of “diversity and inclusion in outdoors culture.”
Mikah Meyer, 34, first earned national attention in 2019, when he became the first person to visit all 419 sites administered by the National Park Service during a single — albeit three-years-long — journey.
That effort largely was motivated by Meyer’s own wanderlust. However, his current exploit is tied to his status as a “fulltime adventurer” (in Meyer’s own words) — a fitness enthusiast, motivational speaker, “social media warrior” (according to MTV), and LGBTQ advocate.
“I live on one end of the Mississippi River in the state where it begins,” said Meyer, a resident of Downtown Minneapolis. “I moved there because it’s a state that has a lot of LGBTQ protections, the culture is very welcoming. I feel welcomed to be my authentic self there.
“And then I come down to the other end of the Mississippi River, and I’m hearing from local Mississippians who say, ‘I’m gay, and I have a partner, and I could never come out, for fear of being fired,'” Meyer said. In addition, the Mississippi state legislature currently is considering anti-transgender bills that are opposed by the Human Rights Campaign and other progressive advocacy groups. “So depending on what end of the Mississippi you live on, your life as a queer person will be very different.”
A University of Memphis-trained countertenor soloist who sometimes helps fund his adventures with vocal performances at churches, Meyer began his 170-mile “Run Across Mississippi” — Northern Mississippi, to be precise — on Feb. 1. He is scheduled to cross the finish line at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, in the parking lot of Horseshoe Tunica, the casino at 1021 Casino Center Drive. For the final mile, he’ll be escorted by a Batmobile owned by his old U of M classmate James Fyke, the “Bluff City Batman.” The public is invited to attend, to take pictures and to cheer Meyer on (in a safe, socially distanced way, of course).
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Meyer’s Mississippi run comes four months after his 210-mile “Run Across Minnesota,” which also was intended to promote diversity and inclusion in what he calls “outdoors culture.” To that end, Meyer has founded a nonprofit advocacy group, Outside Safe Space. (Information on Meyer and his efforts can be found at his website, mikahmeyer.com.)
‘Mississippi should be a safe space’
Meyer said at the time he began his parks quest, “I was sort of hiding the fact that I was gay because I was afraid it would offend people and they wouldn’t want to donate to my crowdfunding.”
However, people following his journey online who began checking out his social media accounts became aware of his identity. “I started getting messages from (LGBTQ) people telling me when they’re camping with their partner, or holding hands on a trail, they’ll hear people say, ‘Why do they have to rub my face in it out here?’ or ‘We’re out here with our family, go back to the city.’ It was sort of this moment from God to shake me awake and say, ‘Mikah, you really need to be open about yourself.'”
Meyer said his message is much more positively received in 2021 than it was even just a few years ago. He now undertakes his “adventures” with the support of three major sponsors: the Eddie Bauer sportswear and outdoor gear company; the Schwinn Bicycle Company; and Brooks Running, a sports equipment company.
As a result, his “Run Across Mississippi” is well chronicled. Generally, he covers about 6.5 miles a day, accompanied by photographer Madeline Elli, on her electric bicycle, and filmmaker Derek Dodge, who is working on a documentary about Meyer. (Dodge’s previous feature, “Hurley,” about American race car driver Haywood Hurley, is currently on Hulu.)
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Partly for the cameras, partly for himself, Meyer sometimes dresses whimsically or flamboyantly on his run, to draw attention to his cause. The choice of Elvis jumpsuit for the leg of his journey that took him to the King’s birth town of Tupelo was perhaps predictable, but it’s likely no drivers on any Magnolia State highway expected to see a man running along the road in a rainbow tutu or what Meyer calls a “unicorn onesie.”
Explained Meyer: “Because so many people perceive Mississippi as so dangerous to LGBTQ people, by being here and being out and proud and being who I am, I think I can really promote the idea that Mississippi should be a safe space.”
Born and raised in Nebraska, Meyer came to Memphis to study music at the University of Memphis, and he still has plenty of local friends and connections. In fact, his unofficial headquarters for the Mississippi run is the Memphis home of Lawrence Edwards, director of the Memphis Symphony Chorus.
Although he lived here only about four years, “Memphis had a big impact on me,” Meyer said. “That’s why I still have a 901 phone number. Memphis is where I felt like I became an adult, it’s where I came out of the closet, and it’s where I feel I found myself.
“When I’m at home in Downtown Minneapolis, the water I run over every day on my runs is the water that will eventually make its way down to Memphis.”
