Printable Biography of Zoe Koplowitz

In a world that values fast, she is perpetually slow. In a world that demands first, she has given new meaning to the word last.

Zoe Koplowitz is the award-winning author of The Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place. Although she lives with the daily challenges of both multiple sclerosis and diabetes, she has successfully completed a total of seventeen marathons, all in last place. Her thirty-three hour, nine-minute run has set a world record for the longest marathon in the history of women's running. And her marathons have become a metaphor for self-acceptance and personal achievement. Her transformational journey of the spirit has captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, superseding the boundaries of race, class and economics.

Koplowitz has been featured on numerous television programs, including "Today," the Lifetime Network, CNN, ESPN, and many others. She has presented motivational speeches from the shores of Oahu to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. And she holds the distinction of being featured in a "Got Milk?" advertisement. Her volunteer work has been recognized by several major organizations, including the National MS Society, Chase Manhattan Bank, The Achilles Track Club and the Sara Lee Corporation. In 2001, L'eggs Pantyhose honored Koplowitz as a "Woman Who Shapes the World." The U.S. Olympic Committee selected her as a torch bearer to pass on the Olympic torch as it made its way from Atlanta to Salt Lake City and the 2002 Winter Games.

In her speeches across the country, Koplowitz shares the true stories and lessons that she has learned in the course of her marathon adventures. Chief among them are the importance of self-acceptance, the power of a dream, courage in the face of adversity, excelling despite perceived limitations, and the beauty of unconditional love.