Athlete of the Month: Jeremiah Palmer

Photo by Tami Wood

Sandpoint High School

By Like Media Team

Jeremiah Palmer captains both the wrestling and football programs at Sandpoint High School. A junior known for his quiet intensity, he leads not by volume but by example, showing up, grinding through, and refusing to waste a moment of his final seasons in the sports he loves.

Being named Athlete of the Month means something real to Jeremiah. He sees it as an acknowledgment of years invested, early mornings, weight cuts, and the kind of daily discipline that rarely gets noticed from the outside. But recognition, for him, has always been secondary to the work itself.

This season, his most significant growth happened between the ears. "I learned that having fun is the most important thing when I compete," Jeremiah says. "Not screwing around, just embracing the suck and enjoying it." Competing with more joy rather than more pressure allowed him to perform at his best and deepened his appreciation for the people he trained alongside every day.

His mental preparation follows a similar philosophy. He works to quiet his mind before competition, no overthinking, no scouting his opponent mid-warmup, no noise. Just presence. He's found consistently that a relaxed, clear headspace is where his best performances come from.

When things get hard, Jeremiah draws motivation from the clock. Having come agonizingly close to a state championship, he's keenly aware that his time in the sport is finite. That awareness sharpens everything. "I only had a little bit of time left," he says. "So I wanted to make the most of it."

The list of people he credits with his development is long, and he means it. His parents, his coaches, and his training partners Jackson, Bomba, and Josh are all named without hesitation. For Jeremiah, success has never been a solo act.

Next up, he plans to enroll in NIC's Industrial Mechanic program with the goal of becoming a millwright. He carries one phrase with him wherever he goes: "God made all men equal, but some are better. So be better."

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