Greg Simpson is a man on a mission. In mid-2006 he set a goal to run a 26.2 mile marathon in each of the 50 states within 50 months to raise funds and autism awareness. Greg, a Westfield, NJ resident, will complete his 50th state and 1,310th mile on October 18th in Asbury Park, NJ, nine months earlier than his stated goal.
It started on Memorial Day weekend 2006 in Burlington, VT where he ran a personal best record - a sub-three hour marathon and from there it’s been one state after the next. He ran nine marathons in 2006, 13 in 2007, 19 in 2008, 11 in 2009, and ever ran a marathon in one state on a Saturday and another marathon in another state on Sunday in the same weekend, more than once. He credits much of his success to the support of his family, especially his wife and two young children who cheer “GO DADDY!” when they watch him cross the finish line or over the phone when they can’t be with him.
Having a nephew with autism drove Simpson to run to raise autism awareness and funds for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). OAR focuses on providing practical information to the autism community by funding research studies whose outcomes offer new insights into the development of individuals with autism, with an emphasis on education, social life, and employment.
When asked about his achievements that seem unfathomable to most, Simpson explains that running his first marathon taught him that goals that may seem unattainable don’t appear as daunting if we break them down into smaller achievable tasks. He shares that, “training for a marathon isn’t about how to run 26.2 miles all at once, it’s about tackling the smaller activities and achieving success each day. You need to start running a few miles and gradually build up the miles per run over the course of time.” This approach to training and running isn’t that different from the approach taken by people with autism or their parents and teachers to overcome the challenges that they face. “We can’t let the enormity of the overall situation overwhelm us. This is done by celebrating small successes every day.” He adds, “What I’m doing is nothing compared to what autistic children, adults, and their families are accomplishing every day.”
To find out more about Simpson’s marathon efforts or to contribute to his 50-state marathon challenge, visit his Web site at www.firstgiving.com/50
###
