STEAMTOWN MARATHON: Coppolo keeps running after health issues
Oct. 8—Amber Coppolo loves running. Yet she didn't realize just how much until it was almost taken from her.
The 34-year-old from Saratoga Springs, New York, has overcome health issues and personal hardships to become a marathon runner. She is one of the elite females entered in Sunday's 26th running of the Steamtown Marathon. The race begins at 8 a.m. at Forest City High School and winds its way through 14 communities before finishing in downtown Scranton.
Coppolo is a licensed social worker at a correctional facility in New York and the mother of a 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.
She ran in college for three years at Buffalo State, then one year at the University at Buffalo. She holds the 10,000 meters record at Buffalo State of 40:51.57, set in 2010.
"That's hilarious because now that's like my marathon pace," Coppolo said.
"Going from being the fastest on a Division III team to the slowest on a Division I team humbled me just a little bit. I didn't train very smart. I ran all of my easy runs way too fast and did my workouts way too fast. Then when it came to races, I would burn out and not be able to perform."
Frustrated with running, she took some time off.
After giving birth to her son in September 2017, Coppolo wanted to get back into running. But early in 2018, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had to go through chemotherapy, and the risk of one of the drugs she took was pulmonary toxicity. Her doctor told her because she was young and athletic, she should be fine. But her body could not process the drug and as a result she almost died from respiratory failure. She survived, but was left with permanent scarring and reduced capacity in her lungs.
She endured months of grueling respiratory therapy. Forget running again. Simple tasks like walking up stairs or standing in the shower became difficult.
However, she wanted to prove to herself that she was still the same person before all her health issues. So, she tried running again.
Three months after she finished her treatment, she attempted to run the Teal Ribbon 5K run in Albany, New York. The teal ribbon is for ovarian cancer awareness.
"I couldn't breathe in that race, my lips were blue when I finished," Coppolo said. "I think I ran almost 24 minutes, which coming back from everything, to be able to run an eight-minute pace I was happy with that. But, I felt so defeated and not myself after that race that I said to myself I'm going to win this race. I don't care what it takes. I made it my mission."
In 2021 and 2022, Coppolo not only has been the first female finisher in the Teal Ribbon Run, but the overall race winner.
"It was really special for me to win it twice," Coppolo said. "That's what I started up again for. I wanted to win that race, I made it my mission. Now that I accomplished that, I was like, 'What's next?'"
Mat Mark helped provide the answer.
Coppolo met Mark and his Nark Running Strategies team at a 5K race in 2020. He approached her after the race and asked her to join the team.
"I wasn't at my greatest at that point," Coppolo said. "I wasn't even near my potential. But the fact he reached out and saw my potential meant a lot."
With the help of Mark's coaching, Coppolo built her way up to attempting a half-marathon. After running at that distance for a bit, she decided to try a full marathon, which is something she never thought she would do.
She ran the Cheap Marathon in Derry, New Hampshire, in April 2022 and finished in 2:58:08. She then ran the California International Marathon in Sacramento in December 2022 and, ironically, finished in 2:58:08.
Now, Coppolo can't imagine running any other distance.
"If you ask me would I rather do a 5K or a marathon, I would pick the marathon," Coppolo said. "I don't know if it's my lung capacity or my limitations, but I feel like I can hold a marathon pace forever. When it comes to a really quick pace, I can't hold it for very long. My other limitation is humidity. When it's humid, I feel like I'm not getting oxygen. That's when the problems start for me. I fall apart and have stomach issues."
That brings her to the Steamtown Marathon. It is her first race since CIM due to going through a separation and divorce this year.
"I want this to be my comeback race. I want to do well here," Coppolo said. "My goal is to run 2:55. I think I can reach that given how my training has been going. I'm hoping I can get a top-five, but if not I just want to PR."
Some might question why Coppolo puts herself through the pain of training and running a marathon, given all her health issues. It is because she never wants to take running for granted again. She saw firsthand how quickly and easily something you love can be taken from you and you have no control over it.
Plus, she does it to serve as an inspiration to others who are diagnosed with cancer.
"I just keep going to instill hope into other people," Coppolo said. "There is life after cancer. There is life after other horrible things. You don't have to let it define you. You can still have a good life and reach your goals. You don't have to give up. There's still more ahead for you.
"At the end of races, when things get tough, I think about the times I couldn't breathe and didn't think I was going to live. But I'm still here. If I can survive that, I can survive the end of a marathon. That keeps me from not walking at the end when I want to walk."
Contact the writer:
570-348-9100 ext. 5109;
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