In Memoriam: Michael Koplin
Michael Koplin at the 2018 Turkey Trot. Photo Credit: Jimmy Leung
Miles and smiles. The true worth of a life is best measured in miles and smiles. MILES – long, hard, sweaty miles. The kind of miles that make your heart pound and your breath come with effort. The kind of miles that remind you that you are alive. The kind of miles that count, that add up to something greater than you ever thought you could achieve. Greater than the sum of their parts kind of miles. SMILES – warm, wide, and bright smiles. The kind of smiles that are welcoming, encouraging, and comforting. The kind of smiles that can’t be faked. The kind of smiles that draw their recipients in to a place where you believe things are going to be alright. On October 20, 2020, PPTC lost a dear friend, mentor, and coach. By all accounts, Mike Koplin lived the kind of life that matters most….the kind of life that is measured in miles and smiles.
Mike grew up in Coney Island. A Brooklynite through and through from day one. Tough and understanding all at the same time. Mike, along with his twin sister Judy and his brother Phillip, grew up knowing what it meant to strive for something better. A child of immigrants looking to make something of himself and looking to make his parents proud. Mike’s infectious spirit is likely to have come from his mother, Freda – who, at 101 years of age, still has a real zest for life.
Mike attended Lincoln High School and later The Borough of Manhattan Community College. Mike served our country as a combat army medic providing aid and comfort to wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War. Upon returning from Vietnam, Mike embarked on a career in finance. Later, Mike began a career in publishing where he worked until his retirement. Lovingly described as a ‘big nerd,” Mike had much of his own poetry published and loved (really loved) studying history. An avid stamp and coin collector, Mike specialized in collecting ‘first day of issue covers” or “first day covers.” For those with knowledge of stamp and coin collecting, “first day covers” are a really big deal.
Mike and Lois
While in his mid-twenties, Mike met the beautiful and sweet love of his life, Lois. The love between Mike and Lois transcended ordinary love and lasted almost 50 years (48 years as husband and wife). Mike and Lois have two wonderful and accomplished children: Hal, a paralegal, and Allison, the current principal of St. Edmund Prepatory High School. If you ever met Hal and Allison, it would make perfect sense that they are Mike and Lois’ kids.
At first glance and to the uninitiated eye, running may seem like a selfish act. Some perceive running as countless hours mostly by yourself, doing something for yourself. However, upon deeper analysis, runners know that running is the antithesis of selfishness. We know that running, especially as members of PPTC, can be as social and engaging as any activity. Running makes us stronger and less stressed so that we are better able to love and support all those around us. On a recent weekend run through Prospect Park, I purposely wore my PPTC shirt. As I ran on that day I sought out anyone else wearing the red and white and immediately ran alongside them and asked if they knew Mike and if they cared to share a thought. I met five PPTC-ers that day and all had nothing but warm and kind words to share. “Coach,” “friend,” and “cheerleader” were common themes that ran throughout all of the conversations. One PPTC-er shared a story of the first time she met Coach Mike. It was after a speed workout at the Armory. Upon completing the workout, Coach Mike introduced himself to this new member of the club. They immediately got into an easy conversation about running and life that lasted all the way until they got to their destination. The new member felt welcomed and comfortable, and will never forget how happy she was with her decision to join PPTC because of this conversation with Coach Mike.
Mike during the 2017 TCS NYC Marathon with Lois and Allison
It is often said that the secret of getting ahead is getting started. On Marathon Sunday in early November 2010, Mike’s daughter, Allison, was in the hospital recovering from heart surgery. As Mike and Allison watched the Marathon from the hospital room, Mike began talking about getting into running to improve his health. It was then that Mike vowed to Allison that he would do whatever he could to run a marathon one day. He also suggested to Allison that she should also get into running to improve her health. Less than three months later, on January 22, 2011, Mike ran his first half-marathon: the NYRR Manhattan Half, in that “other” park. In total, Mike has completed five marathons, twenty-two half-marathons, and over one hundred total races since that day with Allison in the hospital room. Allison has also gotten into running. During a recent conversation, Allison recalled that her most fond memory of her father is running with him in Prospect Park. She especially recalls how he would encourage her to never give up as she would run up what she fondly terms “heart break hill”. Anyone who has ever run in Prospect Park knows exactly what hill she is referring to. Nothing says I love you like “I’m here for you” and “we can do this together.”
In 2016, Mike began coaching track and cross-country at St. Edmund Prep (“STEP”). Mike has left an indelible mark on so many STEP kids over the years. He introduced them to the joys of running and to the “cathedrals” of the sport: Van Cortland Park and the New Balance Armory, creating memories that will last with the kids for years to come.
Mike has also left his mark on PPTC. From 2016 to 2020, Mike served as a Director on the Board. Mike served as a PPTC team Captain from 2017 to 2019, and as a coach for the Marathon Training Group in 2016. Mike and I coached together at St. Edmund for a few years and we became friends right away. Mike was just that kind of guy: Easy to talk to, easy to get along with. In 2019, Mike and I sat together on the PPTC bus to Fort Wadsworth. I will never forget the conversation we enjoyed together. It was about everything and nothing all at the same time. It put me at ease and in the right frame of mind to run 26.2. It was the kind of conversation that makes you think of miles and smiles ….
Text by: James Ditucci-Cappiello
Photos courtesy of the Koplin family, except as noted
Edited and Produced by: Linda S. Chan