Rick Kopf enjoys living life on the edge. His pursuit of big thrills goes beyond raising three kids (hair-raising enough these days) and even beyond founding the downtown law firm Munsch Hart Kopf & Harr. Kopf constantly pushes himself outside the office and outside his comfort zone to conquer challenges most folks cower from — he’s paddled the Texas Water Safari, run marathons in sub-zero temps, skied backcountry races across towering peaks and backpacked with his son in arduous conditions.
Kopf has written “An Ordinary Guy’s Extra-Ordinary Adventures,” an inspiring new memoir detailing the remarkable experiences that shaped him. From the rugged trails of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the icy winds of Antarctica, each page declares the power of perseverance and the life lessons from overcoming adversity.
When Advocate Magazine featured Kopf last year, he had just completed the Antarctic Ice Marathon. The world’s southernmost marathon celebrated its 20th anniversary this week and offers extreme conditions, sub-zero temperatures, strong winds and 24-hours of daylight.
“This was not a race for time; it was a race just to do it,” Kopf said back then. “It sure was nice that our course was essentially a rectangle and not just an out and back, so we had the wind sideways and with us, and not always in our face.”
Kopf said meeting fascinating people was one of the favorite aspects of the experience. When he and his friends arrived in Chile to prepare for the race, they reveled in socializing with other participants.
“We ended up with 18-20 people joining us for dinner (at the hotel) every night. That was the best part of the trip — meeting people from around the world with amazing stories and backgrounds. One lady had run 97 marathons, one had climbed the seven summits and one had run a marathon at the Mt. Everest Base Camp. For about 20 of the runners, this was the end of their trek of running a marathon on each continent.”
Kopf’s refrain is constant throughout his memoir — adventure isn’t reserved for daredevils or elite athletes. Adventure is waiting for anyone bold enough to answer the call. You’ll find it wherever books are sold.
To read more, click here.