Lee student runs 47 miles in memoriam
Photo by Ashley Morell.
On Saturday, Jan. 23, Tristan Miller, a sophomore business major, ran 47 miles in memory of his best friend’s mom, who passed away from COVID-19 complications in early 2021.
Miller’s best friend, Chace Varvel, is a sophomore at Lee, and his older siblings, Mikenna and Holden, are both Lee alums. Many across campus felt the impact their mother’s death, especially those close to the three children like Miller, who grew up with the Varvel family in Troy, Ohio.
“Chace and I have been through a lot together in middle school, attending Lee together, [rushing] Tau Kappa Omega and vacationing with each other’s families. We have always been so close,” said Miller. “Through this, I’ve also gotten very close with Chace’s mother Kyle, and to know her is to love her. She was always like another mother figure in my life.”
Kyle White tested positive with COVID-19 during Thanksgiving and was hospitalized a week later. She was put on a ventilator after doctors discovered double pneumonia in her lungs. After notifying loved ones on social media of the news, hundreds of people relentlessly prayed for the next two months, full of hope that she would miraculously recover.
“This was obviously a very stressful and anxious time for Chace and his family,” said Miller. “Then, one night when I was hanging out with Chace, he got the call that she had passed. He gave me a hug and rushed to the hospital to say his goodbyes with his family.”
Compelled to honor White, Miller pulled the idea from his hobby of running, one he has cultivated since high school.
“I came up with the idea to run 47 miles for the 47 years that Kyle was on this earth. I did this to raise as much money for their incredible amount of medical bills,” said Miller. “[On Jan. 23] at 6 a.m., I started my long day by completing eight, six-mile loops around Lee’s campus and Cleveland.”
Previously completing a 50k and two last man standing races, Miller’s prior training played into his successful completion of a 47-mile run. However, the sentiment behind this specific run is one Miller will commit to memory.
Photo courtesy of Tristan Miller.
“Tristan running 47 miles just shows how much he wanted to support me and my family through this hard time by doing what he does best,” said Chase Varvel. “It was such a heartfelt idea, and my words won’t express what this has meant to me.”
Throughout the run, peers lined the streets, cheering him on and running alongside him throughout the day.
“At the end of my 6th loop, my good friends Sydney Brown, Anthony Jones, Megan Uhls and David Priatko were at the start and point of the loop to cheer me up,” said Miller. “Seeing some familiar faces was the only push I needed to get through those last 11 miles.”
The familiar faces served not only to support Miller but contributed to the overall meaning behind the race.
“On mile 46, about ten people from TKO gathered to run the last mile with me —finishing was surreal,” said Miller. “My great friend and tap brother Nathan Parris prayed over me as we finished, and it was the perfect ending to a day full of suffering.”
Miller completed the 47 miles with a time of 8 hours and 18 minutes with every minute leaving an impact on him.
“This run was different from other ultra-distance runs I’ve completed. — There was no glory. It was just me and a friend pounding pavement for hours on end,” said Miller. “There weren’t hundreds of people cheering me on, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Suffering for eight hours and being in pain for a few days does not even begin to compare to what Chace is going through.”
Miller hopes those who hear the story behind his run recognize the true intent behind his grand gesture to honor White and the Varvels.
“I want people to understand that I didn’t do this so my friends and family would congratulate me and be impressed. I did this to honor Kyle Varvel White and to show what it means to fight for your friends,” said Miller. “Often, we get too comfortable. We get scared to take a risk. I think it’s important to support our friends and go to the furthest depths to go into struggles and support them.”
Even while processing loss, Lee Alumna Mikenna Varvel reminds current students of the importance of creating sustainable relationships while at Lee.
“I have been astounded by the way our community has come around us with love and support,” said Mikenna Varvel. “I want Lee’s campus to know that it is evident relationships go beyond the campus. As an [alumna], still feeling supported by our friends, I’ve been reminded of all of the gratitude I have for being a flame and developing lifelong relationships.”
Donations are currently being accepted via GoFundMe for the Varvel family. More information about the family can be found here.
