UF student Rob Wheeler Jr. starts a three-day, 150-mile trek from Gainesville to Tallahassee Monday.
The 20-year-old political science and history junior will walk from Gainesville to High Springs on Monday.
The next day, he will cycle from High Springs to Lamont, and Wednesday he will walk from Lamont to Tallahassee.
It adds up to about 150 miles.
The trek is Wheeler’s way of giving back to his church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee, and raising money for the construction of its new building.
During high school, Wheeler was a devout Christian. But once he started college, things changed and he lost focus.
By spring 2012, Wheeler was regularly blacking out from drinking, yelling at his girlfriend and fighting with his family.
“I turned my back on everyone,” he said.
His mom, Kim Wheeler, said she noticed her son was not as kind and considerate as he had been.
He became a member of Theta Chi Fraternity, held leadership positions in Student Government and Gator Growl and joined Florida Blue Key. He is currently a District B senator.
“I was so caught up in myself,” he said.
It was after a blacked-out night when he argued with his girlfriend again that he realized he needed to change.
When he came home for Spring Break, he went back to church.
His mom said she saw him change back to the way had used to be.
“The biggest change in Rob is that he is much happier and seems to be less burdened,” she said.
But Rob Wheeler Jr. still felt like he owed something — to the church, friends and family.
“Just saying I changed wasn’t enough,” he said.
He started fundraising a month ago for the new church. Since then, he has raised more than $500.
The church hopes to open on Christmas Eve 2013, Wheeler said.
The Rev. Andrew Rowell, an associate rector, said the church needed a total of $8 million to build the new space. He said they have wanted to build it for years and are in the final push with the last million dollars.
Wheeler got the idea for the trek from the movie “Forrest Gump.”
He thought walking would give him time to think, and other people could join him. Rowell hopes to join Wheeler the second day.
Rowell has known Wheeler since he was a freshman in high school. He said he thinks Wheeler’s trek is ambitious.
“It’s a bold and noble thing to do,” he said.
Rowell used to be a distance cyclist and said that even for a cyclist, 97 miles is hard.
Wheeler is nervous for the cycling, but he has been training every day for three weeks.
He has been riding his bicycle for an hour and walking 30 minutes every day.
His family will also drive behind him for moral support and whatever else he might need.
“I had been so bad to other people,” Wheeler said. “This was my own sacrifice.”
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
UF Senator to begin 150-mile trek to Tallahassee Monday
SAMANTHA SHAVELL
Alligator Staff Writer
UF student Rob Wheeler Jr. starts a three-day, 150-mile trek from Gainesville to Tallahassee Monday.
The 20-year-old political science and history junior will walk from Gainesville to High Springs on Monday.
The next day, he will cycle from High Springs to Lamont, and Wednesday he will walk from Lamont to Tallahassee.
It adds up to about 150 miles.
The trek is Wheeler’s way of giving back to his church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee, and raising money for the construction of its new building.
During high school, Wheeler was a devout Christian. But once he started college, things changed and he lost focus.
By spring 2012, Wheeler was regularly blacking out from drinking, yelling at his girlfriend and fighting with his family.
"I turned my back on everyone," he said.
His mom, Kim Wheeler, said she noticed her son was not as kind and considerate as he had been.
He became a member of Theta Chi Fraternity, held leadership positions in Student Government and Gator Growl and joined Florida Blue Key. He is currently a District B senator.
"I was so caught up in myself," he said.
It was after a blacked-out night when he argued with his girlfriend again that he realized he needed to change.
When he came home for Spring Break, he went back to church.
His mom said she saw him change back to the way had used to be.
"The biggest change in Rob is that he is much happier and seems to be less burdened," she said.
But Rob Wheeler Jr. still felt like he owed something — to the church, friends and family.
"Just saying I changed wasn’t enough," he said.
He started fundraising a month ago for the new church. Since then, he has raised more than $500.
The church hopes to open on Christmas Eve 2013, Wheeler said.
The Rev. Andrew Rowell, an associate rector, said the church needed a total of $8 million to build the new space. He said they have wanted to build it for years and are in the final push with the last million dollars.
Wheeler got the idea for the trek from the movie "Forrest Gump."
He thought walking would give him time to think, and other people could join him. Rowell hopes to join Wheeler the second day.
Rowell has known Wheeler since he was a freshman in high school. He said he thinks Wheeler’s trek is ambitious.
"It’s a bold and noble thing to do," he said.
Rowell used to be a distance cyclist and said that even for a cyclist, 97 miles is hard.
Wheeler is nervous for the cycling, but he has been training every day for three weeks.
He has been riding his bicycle for an hour and walking 30 minutes every day.
His family will also drive behind him for moral support and whatever else he might need.
"I had been so bad to other people," Wheeler said. "This was my own sacrifice."
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
