CHARACTER PROFILE: WILBUR

By MarkDeNoble

I’m Mark DeNoble. I grew up in Staten Island, New York, and moved to Virginia to attend James Madison University on an athletic scholarship. I was a gymnast from age four through twenty-one, and that sport shaped my work ethic, my understanding of pressure, and the way I build characters who carry both strength and vulnerability. Professionally, I’ve spent twenty-six years working with college students and young adults, including more than thirteen years supporting survivors of sexual assault. I also published my first book in 2024 titled Mental Wellness for Athletes, focusing on performance anxiety, identity, and resilience. That clinical and educational work keeps me grounded in real human psychology and the weight of lived experience, and it informs how I approach emotional arcs and authenticity in storytelling. During the COVID lockdown, I taught myself computer animation and created an animated short based on my childhood. It went on to win a small film festival in Italy, and that project reminded me how powerful personal history can be when you shape it into narrative. Outside the clinical and creative world, I’m usually on a tennis court or padel court. I live in Virginia with my wife and our cat, balancing therapy work with writing and production. I’m grateful to be part of this team and excited to help build something meaningful with Dorothy as we all get to know one another.

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