Kevin, I just came across this article and I wanted to say thank you. I was Cole's high school coach. At the state track meet Cole's junior year Rich came up to our team tent and handed a letter to another coach that was up there at the time to give to Cole. It was a letter in which he let Cole know that he was cheering for him to break the record. It was an incredibly thoughtful note. I'm a recovering alcoholic. I've been sober for over 15 years after nearly losing my life countless times. I consider myself to be one of the few lucky ones. To have known a bit about Rich's story actually gives me even more respect for him. I absolutely respect those who get sober and stay sober. With that said, those that continue to battle those demons and continue to fight may have even more respect from me. Every once in awhile different pieces of our lives intersect with former pieces and I'm very thankful that Rich's record, Cole's chase for his record, and even my own story have intersected a bit. I'd love to touch base with you if you're willing. My email is greg.coplen@valorchristian.com.
Kevin, I just came across this article and I wanted to say thank you. I was Cole's high school coach. At the state track meet Cole's junior year Rich came up to our team tent and handed a letter to another coach that was up there at the time to give to Cole. It was a letter in which he let Cole know that he was cheering for him to break the record. It was an incredibly thoughtful note. I'm a recovering alcoholic. I've been sober for over 15 years after nearly losing my life countless times. I consider myself to be one of the few lucky ones. To have known a bit about Rich's story actually gives me even more respect for him. I absolutely respect those who get sober and stay sober. With that said, those that continue to battle those demons and continue to fight may have even more respect from me. Every once in awhile different pieces of our lives intersect with former pieces and I'm very thankful that Rich's record, Cole's chase for his record, and even my own story have intersected a bit. I'd love to touch base with you if you're willing. My email is greg.coplen@valorchristian.com.
Sincerely,
Greg Coplen
20% about the subject, 80% about the author - could have been great