On the Radar: Zantavious Graham Is Building Community One Run at a Time With FRM

Zantavious Graham came to the Twin Cities from a small town in Georgia to play football at Concordia University St. Paul. Four years later he has a college degree, a published book, and a growing wellness community that is reaching hundreds of people across Minneapolis. None of it was part of the original plan.

Graham joined MSR Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry on MSR On the Radar to talk about FRM, the wellness community he founded, what drove him to build it, and why he believes community is the most important thing missing from people’s lives right now.

From Football to FRM

Graham arrived at Concordia on a football scholarship, drawn by two friends from his hometown who were already enrolled and told him it was a good environment. He played as a true freshman and into his sophomore year before stepping away from the sport after losing his grandmother, who he said kept him connected to the game.

“It was time for me to stop running from trying to become the king that I know I am,” he said.

The name FRM, which stands for Forever Remain Motivated, came from a pivotal moment in Graham’s life before college, when a near-violent encounter left him searching for something to hold onto. A police officer asked him what FRM meant, and the answer that came out in that moment became the foundation for everything that followed.

“Ever since 2022 I’ve really been standing on those letters,” he said.

What started as a personal mantra became a clothing brand and then evolved into a full wellness community built around running, movement, group healing, and connection.

Building Community Through Movement

The FRM run club began during finals week at Concordia, when Graham noticed students stressed and buried in the library. He printed a flyer, showed up, and 18 people came out. A video from that first run went viral on TikTok with around 20,000 views, and people from the surrounding neighborhood started showing up. The community has been growing ever since.

But Graham is quick to clarify what FRM actually is.

“People hear run club and they think we just going out there running miles all day long,” he said. “The real thing is building community through movement. Some kings and queens come and they just walk all day. It’s an opportunity to invite people in that are looking for community.”

Beyond running FRM now offers group healing circles, a Kings and Queens Circle, sacred movement sessions every Monday, and access to group therapy. The organization also recently gave away 100 backpacks to young people in the neighborhood, made possible through a donation from Ujama Place, an organization Graham credits as essential to his own growth in the Twin Cities.

“Ujama Place is the number one organization I think in the world to help Black men with their transformation in life,” he said. “It’s the number one place that helped Zantavious reach his next level.”

On Health, Vegetarianism, and Showing Up

Graham became a vegetarian after his younger brother challenged him to reconsider what he was eating and began sending him educational videos. He credits his brother, along with the teachings of Dr. Sebi and Nipsey Hussle, as inspirations for the shift.

He also noticed a difference in health culture between his hometown in Georgia and the Twin Cities.

“The way y’all eat, a lot of vegan options and things like that,” he said. “Back home we was eating Popeyes every day. That exposed me to something different.”

He said FRM’s emphasis on physical health is inseparable from its emphasis on mental health and community. The two reinforce each other.

The Biggest Challenge

As FRM has grown, Graham said the hardest thing has been staying focused on the mission when so many people want to pull the organization in different directions.

“Trying to be everything for everybody is the biggest challenge,” he said. “We got to keep our mission at the front and center of everything.”

He also described FRM as a testing ground for leadership, pointing to the back to school giveaway as an example of members stepping up to organize, cook, plan, and serve without being asked.

“FRM is also a testing ground for people to step into their leadership roles in their life,” he said.

Bridging the Gap Between Elders and Youth

One of the things Graham said he wants FRM to address more directly is the disconnect between older and younger generations in the Black community. He described a moment at Como Park where he and members of the run club tried to help some elders carrying heavy items and noticed the elders seemed hesitant to accept help from young Black men.

“I want to be able to bridge that gap,” he said. “Keep talking to your elders. Gain from them even if they ain’t got the wisest game. Just continue to chop it up with your elders.”

He is currently working on an event that would bring elders and young people together to have that conversation in a structured setting.

What’s Next

Graham’s vision for FRM centers on youth. He wants to launch an FRM Exposure Program that would bring young people from his hometown in Georgia to Minnesota to expand their perspective on what is possible. His younger brothers visited this past summer and went home with jobs, driver’s licenses, and renewed ambition.

“They were able to go back home and start dreaming even bigger,” he said. “Now they know there are way more exciting things out in the world than what they see in their small circle.”

He also wrote his first book before graduating college, something he said felt especially meaningful given that he struggled with reading growing up.

His closing message was simple.

“Get a better understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” he said. “On those days you feel like you ain’t got no faith to keep pushing, just understand why you started. Get around people who want to see you win. As humans, we were meant to be in community. Let’s get back to that and continue to build something that’s going to outlive all of us.”