A university professor and motivational support line creator is going the extra mile for a caller’s charity run.
Dr. Rob Gilbert, a Montclair State University sports psychology professor, created and heads the podcast called Success Hotline, which provides a daily performance and mentality-boosting message. Currently, Gilbert is running his “60-60-60-60-60” campaign to help Wesley Greer of Atlanta. Greer is a longtime hotline caller and cross-country runner.
Gilbert said he chose the catchy phrase to summarize the key points of the entire cause.
According to Gilbert, Greer plans to run 60 miles on his 60th birthday, May 17, in the span of 24 hours. Greer is raising funds to send 60 needy children from the Atlanta area to Camp Grace in Roswell, Ga. In addition, Gilbert is seeking 60 Success Hotline callers to pledge $60 towards Greer’s goal.
Gilbert said he offered to spotlight Greer’s crusade on Success Hotline.
“It wasn’t his idea to publicize it,” said Gilbert. “It was my idea.”
Dr. Rob Gilbert, sports psychology professor, displays the picture of General Eisenhower visiting the troops just prior to the 1944 D-Day invasion. Gilbert showed the photo as an example of stress reduction through effective communication during a recent sports psychology class. Tom Boud | The Montclarion Photo credit: Tom Boud
As of April 17, Gilbert has aired two prerecorded three-minute messages on Success Hotline to profile Greer. Gilbert said he will do more “60-60-60-60-60” campaign announcements as the May 17 date approaches. The professor said any monetary offerings are welcome.
People who want to contribute can contact Greer at runwesleyrun@gmail.com. A link for submitting donations will be sent in response.
According to Greer, Gilbert’s assistance came following a recent call to the Success Hotline. Greer said the day’s hotline’s message urged callers to take immediate action to reach their goals. Greer told Gilbert he wanted to run 60 miles to raise money to send 60 underprivileged children to summer camp.
This ambitious idea quickly elicited a phone call from Gilbert, who offered to promote Greer’s charity run, titled Project 60, on the podcast.
“I got four kids and I made them listen to the message at some point,” Greer recounted. “It was humbling to have him do that.”
Gilbert said Greer’s humanitarian deed matches the hotline’s theme of the year.
“At the beginning of this year, I said, ‘This is going to be the year of the streak on Success Hotline,'” Gilbert explained. “It could be a streak like I do Success Hotline every day, but it could be a one-day streak. I mean, running 60 miles in 24 hours is remarkable.”
Greer’s goal far surpasses the distance in a standard athletic marathon. The professor commented on Greer’s arduous exploit to benefit others.
“The thing is, he is not doing it for glory,” the professor said. “He’s doing it to raise money. He’s going to put himself in great agony. It’s almost two and a third marathons.”
While Greer has experience running long distances, the Project 60 undertaking marks his first attempt at running 60 miles — about twice that of his longest run to date. Greer is “doing a lot of training” for the big event, which is officially known as an ultramarathon.
Greer’s 60-mile run will begin on May 17 at 12 a.m, with the route winding around the Chattahoochee River, north of Atlanta. Greer said he hopes to complete the ultramarathon in less than the anticipated 24-hour time frame.
“The goal is to finish in 15 to 16 hours if I can,” Greer remarked. “I’m focusing on one mile at a time. When you do that, the time passes.”
Wesley Greer, the longtime hotline caller and cross-country runner. Photo courtesy of Wesley Greer
To Greer, spreading word about his cause of helping underprivileged youth is his biggest motivation.
“A lot of these kids have unstable homes and backgrounds that are not the best,” Greer said.
Meanwhile, Gilbert said he deems it fulfilling to help other individuals reach their dreams.
“I said the message the other day,” he said, referring to a previous Success Hotline message. “I said, ‘You know you are a mature person when giving something away feels better than getting something.'”
Stephen Walsh '22 is currently the head junior varsity basketball coach at Emerson Junior-Senior High School. Tom Boud | The Montclarion Photo credit: Tom Boud
One person hailing Gilbert’s 60-60-60-60-60 endeavor is Stephen Walsh of Westwood. Walsh is a 2022 Montclair State graduate with a bachelor’s in physical education and is currently the head junior varsity basketball coach at Emerson Junior-Senior High School. He made a guest appearance at Gilbert’s April 17 sports psychology class.
Walsh, a repeated Success Hotline caller, said he has known Gilbert for seven and a half years. He said Gilbert’s buzz-generating blitz for Greer illustrates Gilbert’s caring character.
“I’m not surprised at all with how he helps anyone calling his Success Hotline,” Walsh said. “Dr. Gilbert is that type of human being where he will help no matter who it is, with anything, with what it is, he will help anyone do anything.”
