TOMS RIVER – When Matawan Aberdeen Middle School teacher Anthony Certa was 18 years old, he did what many Americans did in 2002 – he enlisted in the United States military to defend his country. He enlisted in the Marines Corps from the ages of 18 to 22 and served in Iraq in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Now, as a 41-year-old veteran, Certa continues to provide for his country, but in a different manner. By running extreme lengths and other physical challenges, Certa evokes awareness and donations from people to Semper Fi and America’s Fund – a nonprofit organization that helps veterans with PTSD and similar experiences to his own.
Most recently for the foundation, Certa took on a challenge that has not been accomplished, or even considered of, by many: he ran a consecutive 48 hours on a treadmill.
“I want to give back [to Semper Fi and America’s Fund] because once a Marine, always a Marine. We’re all in this together. Some of our injuries might be a little bit more than other people’s, but we’re all fighting the same fight,” he said. “I’m just grateful that I’ve been given this God-given opportunity to do something extraordinary for other people that have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could do things like this.”
From December 21 to December 23, Certa ran on a treadmill in Bradley Beach’s Jersey Shore Fitness Shop, a 24-hour gym. The total distance for his run was 152.8 miles.
To keep himself occupied, Certa watched outside windows, browsed social media and spoke with other gym goers about the foundation.
With a QR code and pamphlets explaining Certa’s mission, he was able to gather the attention of every visitor, and with their help and donations, was able to raise over $1,200. On top of that, the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, which is partnered with Semper Fi and America’s Fund, matched all that Certa raised, totaling the donations to about $2,500.
“Other people have paid the ultimate sacrifice so I could do things like this. It hurt in different ways than other multi-day events that I’ve done, but when I remember them, it’s worth it.” he said.
Certa has run various extreme distances since his release from the military to raise awareness for the fund, including running the entire distance of the state of New Jersey from top to bottom (and then bottom to top again). It was the Semper Fi and America’s Fund that helped him to discover that running helps with his PTSD, he said.
Along with helping veterans combat their PTSD and other disabilities, Semper Fi and America’s Fund has helped veterans find homes, start businesses and provide a foundational way of living. The non-profit has been an active foundation for over 20 years.
Outside of Certa’s monumental runs, he works as a 7th grade social studies teacher, teaching special education students at Matawan Aberdeen Middle School. The students, he says, serve as an additional inspiration for completing these physical challenges.
“It’s nice to reach them and let them know that things are not impossible,” he said. “That’s kind of one thing that keeps me exploring new things of endurance sports, seeing their reactions when they don’t think something’s possible and I can show them that it is. It’s really cool to inspire the kids that way, and it just kind of gives you like a little bit of a breath of fresh air.”
Every three hours, Certa said, he would take a 10 minute break, but during this 48-hour run, there were only four total hours that Certa was not actively running on the treadmill: he took two one-hour breaks and one two-hour break. Sleeping was too uncomfortable, he said, but he did take a few opportunities to put his feet up.
Although the run was successful in spreading awareness and raising donations for the fund, Certa said he would not do it again. In comparison to outdoor runs, the repetition of the treadmill setting was one of the hardest feats to overcome.
“I’ve run every single day since June 5, 2021, so I know what I like,” he said. “The sense of adventure that you get when you’re running outside is completely different than being on a treadmill. There’s no adventure on the inside, but all I had to do to keep me going was remember what I was there for.”
In addition to financial support, some members of the gym were physically supportive of his treadmill run, joining him for the last couple miles of the trek. According to him, there were about six guys that showed up between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. to help him see his adventure through.
“There were some points where time really dragged, and then there were parts where it was like, ‘holy smokes, where did the last six hours go?’ and that’s because of all the people that were supporting me. My wife, friends, family and even strangers were there to support me and this cause, which was really inspiring,” he said.
For his next cause, Certa plans to arrange a run from the Liberty Bell in Constitution Hall to the 9/11 Memorial, Philadelphia to New York City. This would be just over a hundred miles, which, to him, is “nothing crazy.”
While Certa has concluded his run, giving donations to the fund is still available through Semper Fi and America’s Fund website at thefund.org/upcoming-events/48-hours-for-the-fund/.
