Jamie ‘Jam’ Graham-Blair was running between tall trees in Nipaluna (Hobart) in August and if all goes to plan, come November, he’ll be running between tall buildings in New York. 

The 28-year-old pakana activist, conservation ecologist and educator is the first runner from Lutruwita (Tasmania) to make it into the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) squad. 

Jamie was feeling unfit during mutton birding – it was his first full five-week commercial season. 

“I thought I’ve got to clean up my act, if I want to be a good birder,” Jamie said. 

“I got back. I gave up smoking, I gave up drinking, I started going to the gym, then I see this squad pop up on social media,” he told the Koori Mail. 

He figured training for a marathon would get him fit. 

He wasn’t wrong. 

Next minute Jamie was running trials, going through a competitive application process – then he was in.

That was in early 2022. Now he’s 10kg lighter, running 50km a week, swimming, doing strength training and getting competitive – against himself. 

“I’m running distances I’ve never dreamed of, it’s eight days a week of training but I’m loving it. 

“I’m hoping to finish with a good time for New York – against myself. 

“I want to be fitter, I want to be stronger and set a good example I guess, so I can be a good dancer, be a good birder, hike and explore more places, it’s nothing but benefit. It’s making me learn my limits and they’re a lot higher than I thought they were…