Michael was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and has been running for the past 20 years simply for the sake of his health. Running has always been more of a hobby for him, usually sticking to smaller distances like 5K every so often.
This March, his son will be performing at Carnegie Hall, which happens to coincide with the upcoming New York City United Half Marathon. Since Michael’s wife is also a runner, she recommended that he and his family enter the race lottery. However, out of the five family members who entered, only one was selected. Determined to still participate, Michael searched for a charity to run with, and that’s how he discovered Answer the Call!
Because he has never run a half marathon before, Michael’s biggest concern has been the distance. He has always followed a keto diet, which is very low in carbohydrates. As he began practicing longer runs, he realized that he would need more carbs to fuel the distance. He started adding foods like bread, peanut butter, and bananas into his routine. After making the change, he was finally able to complete the full 13-mile distance in training. Now feeling confident in his ability to run the race, he’s excited to take on the New York City United Half Marathon. Since he doesn’t visit New York City often, he’s planning to celebrate crossing the finish line with a classic New York hot dog!
Michael and his wife now live in Florida, where they enjoy spending time with their three dogs, often taking them for walks along the beach. Traveling is his other favorite hobby. Right now, they’re trying to decide where to visit next. On their list is Alaska, Greece, or Spain. Michael would also love to visit Japan someday, though his wife isn’t quite sold on the idea yet.
To the families served by Answer the Call, Michael shared this message:
“The spouse never made the decision to be in that service—to have somebody who’s always putting their life on the line every day. Every time you say goodbye to your loved one, you don’t know if they’re going to come back. I personally don’t know how families deal with that. The way these families support their loved ones and volunteer themselves is absolutely amazing. I wouldn’t really know what to say other than thank you for your service, because it’s not just the person who died in the line of duty who’s serving. Every part of their family is serving too.”
We will be rooting for you on March 15th, Michael!
Click here to support Michael’s fundraising efforts!
Answer the Call’s 2026 Spring Intern, Robert Dewhurst, conducted this interview and wrote this blog post.
