Beyond the Finish Line: Jaime Orozco’s Quest to Transform Lives Through Running

Jaime Orozco has built a life deeply rooted in California’s Napa Valley, where his family settled after moving from Mexico when he was five years old, and where he has built a remarkable career in the region’s famous wine industry. He’s the kind of affable guy who knows how to tell a story, build community, and motivate others to do good. He’s also no stranger to personal challenges and the mental health toll they can leave in their wake.

Like a growing number of people, Jaime laced up his running shoes and hit the pavement in search of relief. While he didn’t originally set out to become an advocate or an inspiration, what followed was a profound transformation that rippled outward, touching countless lives.

Running became more than an athletic pursuit for Jaime—it became medicine, purpose, a vehicle for philanthropy, and ultimately, a platform for change.

A breaking point

Prior to spine surgery in 2014, pain management was an overwhelming daily battle for Jaime. At the end of a work day—which often included extensive travel and entertaining—prescribed pain medication and alcohol became numbing agents that would get him through his anguish and allow him to sleep at night.

“I was depressed that my body was giving up on me and self-medicated to be numb in body and mind,” he recalls. “I was only 34 years young.”

After a successful procedure to relieve the pain, Jaime was faced with a series of new challenges. Though he began creating better habits for himself and had stopped taking pills, stress was mounting at work with new job challenges. His personal life also suffered setbacks, particularly a difficult breakup that struck at the core of his self-worth.

“I felt like it was me, it was my fault,” he shares. “What did I do? I’m not good enough.” This became a theme for his life at the time, with feelings of inadequacy creating a cycle of negative thoughts; he was trapped in his head, struggling to find direction.

Stress and depression from these setbacks led to unhealthy coping habits, and he began to experience noticeable weight gain. In 2018, Jaime learned he was borderline diabetic. But on one fateful day, he thought to himself: “I’m done with this. I am ready.”

The first steps

Jaime committed himself to being healthy: he gave up alcohol for six months, became more active, and lost more than 30 lbs. Running emerged as a powerful antidote to his struggles. “It’s my new prescribed medicine,” he explains. “Running keeps me strong physically, to prevent further back pain. It allows me to be stronger mentally, which makes me more productive at work and in life. Anytime I’m having a bad day, I put on my shoes and run!”

Although he was making great progress, Jaime was still working through his depression and self-doubt. During a particularly difficult period, his sister introduced him to a local group called the Vinerunners—a new connection that would profoundly shape his recovery.

“They instantly became my new family,” he says. A welcoming environment was exactly what he needed. No judgment, just encouragement from people of all backgrounds and experience levels—and that’s exactly what he found.

He began receiving attention for his weight loss and compliments on his attitude change and motivation. The positive atmosphere was infectious. “I couldn’t wait to get home to run. Couldn’t wait to get off work to ride my bike. Couldn’t wait to be active,” Jaime shares. Support from this uplifting new circle fostered a perfect setting for his mental and physical renewal. “It saved and changed my life. It’s as if I had a new lease on life.”

All of this positivity around him also sparked a new goal: it was time to pay it forward and help others.

Turning pain into purpose

Jaime’s dedication to running quickly evolved into something bigger than personal fitness. Working at a winery whose founding family had established a foundation for mental health research, he saw an opportunity to combine his newfound passion with advocacy. He began fundraising for mental health causes through his races, starting with his first half marathon in 2019. “I never thought I could do it,” he remembers. While a feeling of doubt still lurked in his mind, crossing the finish line marked a significant shift for him.

This first campaign aimed to raise $10,000, but the response exceeded all expectations. “Two of my colleagues came to me and asked, ‘Hey, can we do this with you?’” Jamie remembers. But that was just the beginning—another friend wanted to join, and then another. What started as a personal goal transformed into a team effort of seven runners, complete with printed t-shirts donated by local businesses. In the end, the team tripled Jaime's initial goal, raising nearly $30,000.

A new chapter in Jaime’s life had emerged. Harnessing the momentum from his first campaign, he sought out more partnerships and opportunities to make an impact. After connecting with a marketing director who was planning an ambitious bike ride from Washington to Canada, they created a joint campaign called “From Cali to Canada: A Weekend of Mental Health.” Their collaboration proved incredibly fruitful, with their combined fundraising efforts securing another $30,000 for mental health causes. “When you're passionate about something, people with the same mission find their way to you,” Jaime reflects.

Building a legacy of impact

It turns out that Jaime is a fundraising force. Across his races so far, he has raised over $100,000 for various mental health causes. These endeavors have turned him into a prolific athlete: he has now completed nine full marathons, eighteen half marathons, and two half-distance Ironman triathlons.

Along the way, Jaime discovered a perfect partner for his journey—Still I Run—while searching for a charity entry to the New York City Marathon. It seemed serendipitous. “They were the last charity option on the final registration page when I was signing up,” he recalls.

He ended up joining the inaugural Team Still I Run NYC Marathon team, forming bonds with his teammates and remaining in contact with many of them to this day. Being part of the group even earned him unexpected recognition when Good Morning America featured the team and showed a photo of them on the broadcast, with Jaime front and center.

The national publicity was emblematic of the team’s mission. “It really struck me that Still I Run was the only mental health charity option for the marathon,” Jaime remembers. “We have to talk about this stuff more, and keep advocating.”

After contributing to the team’s impact in New York, Jaime jumped at another opportunity to support its goals when he secured entry for the Chicago Marathon. Rather than running solely for himself, he made the meaningful choice to join Still I Run’s “Bring Your Own Bib" team, allowing him to continue his passionate fundraising efforts for the organization that had become such an important part of his journey.

Running’s ripple effect

The kinds of connections Jaime made through Still I Run exemplify what he values most about the running community: its power to bring people together across differences and create lasting bonds. Through his involvement with the organization, he’s seen this dynamic play out countless times, as runners share their mental health struggles and support each other’s journeys.

“When you’re training for a marathon, you spend a lot of time with people,” Jaime explains. “There's a lot of emotional involvement because it takes all of you to run these races, from the training all the way to the actual event. And the people you meet along the way, it’s like you’re buddies for life.”

Given Jaime’s proclivity for forging strong relationships, these types of connections aren’t limited to training partners. At the Berlin Marathon, he befriended Jim, a runner from Kansas City, in an unlikely pairing symbolized by their contrasting NFL team loyalties: Jaime is a diehard Raiders fan and Jim’s allegiance is to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Near the end of the race, he found Jim struggling before the Brandenburg Gate. “I see this guy amongst 40,000 people,” Jaime recalls. “I said, ‘Jim, what are you doing?’ And he’s like, ‘I can’t go anymore.’” Not one to leave a friend behind, Jaime encouraged Jim to get back on his feet, and they continued on together, leading to a memorable finish captured in a photo that Jaime later sent Jim as a Christmas card. “It’s the only time that you’ll ever see a Raiders fan and a Chiefs fan band together.”

Jim and Jaime still stay in touch and they will both be running the Sydney Marathon—a race Jaime will be running for Team Still I Run.

Continuing the journey

Jaime continues pushing his limits, having completed five of the six World Marathon Majors, with only Tokyo remaining. He’s also signed up for a full distance Ironman triathlon in 2025. But beyond these personal accomplishments, his greatest feat may be the way he’s used running to create positive change, both for himself and others.

“Sometimes it feels like a chore. Sometimes it’s not as exciting and you find a way to mentally re-engage, and yes, sometimes it hurts,” he admits. “When I ran the Berlin Marathon, it didn’t feel good, because I wasn’t fundraising. It was just for me, and that made me uncomfortable. I want to do it for other people. I want to run with purpose!”

When it comes time to race, Jaime writes names on his race bib of the people he’s running for, drawing strength from their stories during difficult moments and reminding himself of his commitment to others:

“I run for those who can’t, those who aren’t here, and for all the times I couldn’t.”